Tall Grass
by Yuki Hyoga
Summary: May and her best friends Wally and Brendan join May on her Sinnoh Journey. Old Rivals come and go too. Not all is as it seems though. So what lies in the Tall Grass? This is May's Journey and where it took her in Contests and in Love. May/Brendan/Drew
1. Snow in Sinnoh

**A/N:**

**May returns to Sinnoh with her two childhood friends from Hoenn; Wally and Brendan, two trainers aiming for the Sinnoh League. What if she find one more grass head than she expected?**

**This is my first fic on this website, though do not go just because it is my first fic. First fics do not nessasarily mean they are not worth looking at.**

**The main ships are Contestshipping and Hoennshipping. Hints of other ships will come through once i introduce them into the stories.**

**This story will have a plot, but it is not like, 'oh my god, May and Wally and Brendan came to Sinnoh, let us launch our evil master plan!' Things do not revolve around our main characters, but they have influence through their relatives. Not Wally though. But give him your sympathy.**

**Disclaimer: The website is called FANfiction. I doubt the actual authors would actually write stories here. I do not own Pokemon, anime, manga or games.**

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**Chapter 1: Snow in Sinnoh**

This was not the first time May Maple had been to the Sinnoh Region. Once, last year, while in Johto, she had decided to participate in a contest created and supported by Gym Leader, Champion and Master Coordinator Wallace of Sootopolis City. She had joined so she could gain her fourth ribbon, one more step towards the Grand Festival. To her annoyance, though she did not show it much, she had lost against a certain rookie coordinator with blue hair and more confidence than the amount that was healthy. Her name was Dawn Berlitz, daughter of famed Johanna Berlitz, a famous coordinator who participated in contests with her Glameow. Dawn was two years younger than her, and had only gained one ribbon before hand; May had gained three. Dawn was also the new female companion of Ash Ketchum, an older teenager she had traveled throughout Hoenn and Kanto because his Pikachu had toasted her bike. She had the chance to meet him again too; at the time of meeting he was fourteen, two years older than her, and four years older than Dawn. She also caught up with Brock, an ex-Gym Leader from Kanto, and a womanizer.

Not only that, her beloved Eevee evolved into a beautiful Glaceon. She had raised it from an egg she received from an Egg Ranch.

Ash had also entered the Wallace Cup with his new Buizel that he had traded from Dawn, in return for his Aipom, who had since evolved into an Ambipom. He had lost against a coordinator named Kyle, but not before pulling off a spectacular 'Ice Aqua Jet' that Dawn had claimed to first attempt. She had also met Zoey, Dawn's rival who also had a Glameow, just like Dawn's mother. May had defeated Zoey though.

This time round however, May did not have Ash or Brock to guide her way. On the plus side however, her little brother Max had started his pokemon journey with his beloved Ralts, after studying under their father, Norman, the Gym-Leader for Petalburg City. Max would no longer bug her with his smart-alek comments.

Most times, she was alone in Johto, though old rivals like Harley and Solidad, along with Drew would appear. Harley would insist that their 'happy little family' should travel together, and they would for a while, before May and Drew would separate from Harley and Solidad, and go their separate ways. Harley and Solidad were traveling together though. They were old friends, though sometimes people doubted they were just friends; others believed that Harley was in fact gay, and traveled with Solidad as a friend, or to cover up the shocking 'truth'.

Harley was more mature, though in the slightest manner, and he no longer cheated. Even the highly suspicious Drew could not deny that Harley had turned to the good; sometimes they thought he would join Team Rocket.

The Ship stopped slowly as it pulled into Canalave. May inhaled and took in the very sight of the Region. A gentle breeze blew in from the sea, holding the scent of salt within it. Her green and white bandana moved with the breeze, momentarily blocking her view, aided by a flutter of brunette hair. Throughout the Johto region, she had worn a set of the green version of a design a childhood friend had designed her, while they were still small children. For childish designs, they were wonderful. They were comfortable too, and she saw no reason to replace the garments with unsatisfactory clothes. It was tried and tested for a few years now. It came from the heart no?

And speaking of said friend…

The port was fairly crowded, but one teenager, propped casually against a nearly building caught her eye. His short boyish black hair was obscured mainly by his signature snowy white hat, bordered and trimmed by a green and white pattern of a stylised pokeball, matching the brunette's bandana. His clothing was of green, black and orange. Because of his hat, many people believed that his hair was actually white. Sometimes he was insulted, sometimes he chuckled silently in his head.

He was no old man.

Ruby eyes met Sapphire counterparts, as he blinked, snapping out of his reverie, and suddenly become more alert in his lethargic posture. He stood to attention, in a not so literal manner.

"How is my little May doing?" he questioned, as he marched smoothly towards the thirteen year old girl. The two of them had agreed to meet in this more secluded area of the port, while more people boarded and left the ship from Johto to Sinnoh, and vice versa.

He raised his hat slightly higher, as to see his old friend better. He appreciated her wide grin as she half-skipped, half-ran towards him. As soon as she was within reach, he ruffled her hair as affectionately as one could be while the person wore a bandana.

"Still wearing my concepts?" he enquired. "Maybe the job of a Pokemon Stylist holds more potential for me, though the world would probably disagree with me."

"Hey Brendan, long time no see!" she exclaimed in reply, the grin still plastered across her face. "I am doing fine. I think you should stick to Gym Battles."

Within his head, he chuckled at her naive and upbeat personality. That wonderful and cute aspect of her had not changed since when they were ten. Back then, Brendan was ever so keen to get started on his journey, and May had been less than pleased.

"So, from our calls, i hear you are doing contests? And here i thought you would never actually go out on a journey like this." Brendan remarked to his female companion. "And your starter was a Torchic, correct? May I see the pokemon that started it all?"

"Of course Brendan, Blaziken, take the stage!" May exclaimed as her first pokemon appeared, evolved, but the same. Blaziken stood beside his trainer proudly.

"Remarkable, though it sucks you got the type disadvantage, Swampert, give 'em justice!" Brendan said, as he revealed his evolved starter, who stood adjacent to May's starter.

"Impressive." May said, looking at Brendan's pride and joy. If it wasn't for the water gun, she could have gained something like Brendan's.

"Yep and you know it!" Brendan said in a cocky way that was the Brendan she knew from childhood.

May giggled, and before he knew it, Brendan joined in with his booming laughter. They were loud enough to be sent glares, though still soft enough, as whole port became emptier. Blaziken and Swampert gave weird looks to their trainers.

Brendan clutched his stomach in an attempt to quell the peals of laughter issuing from him. May was a little quicker on the uptake; her giggles had already stopped, leaving Brendan in embarrassment.

"Where is Wally?" she questioned at last. Brendan had nearly forgotten about their sickly green-headed friend. She had begun glancing around, before Brendan coughed politely to capture her attention once more.

"Wally is late, by the looks of things. Do not be afraid, dear May! I told him to meet us at Professor Rowan's lab if we had gone already!" Brendan exclaimed in an unnecessary triumphant and joyous tone, with an equally unnecessary pose, complete with motion blur. He was answered by more giggles from the sapphire eyed brunette, who was tapping her foot impatiently; she had already gone ahead, Blaziken and all. Brendan was forced to run after her, damaging his manly honor. Luckily, it was not super effective, as he was wearing his favorite running shoes, and had quickly caught up to May, who giggled once more, before they were on their way. His swampert looked at his idiotic trainer, before walking along the shore too, overlooking the water-filled ocean. Being a water type, Swampert loved water.

"So what pokemon are you planning to get from Professor Rowan?" May enquired her white haired friend as they walked along the path, as she idly kicked aside a small pebble. The route was bordered by trees and dangerously tall grass. Of course, as mentioned before, Brendan's hair was not actually white, but black, though it was easier to think of it as white. It saved precious time.

They had already gone over a bridge, and passed Jubilife; they would go back there soon after all. May had barely even glanced at Jubilife City; the two were too busy catching up.

"Chimchar." He replied automatically, and before his female companion questioned his choice, he continued. "Your Hoenn starter was a fire type, and mine was a water type."

Both Blaziken and Swampert looked irritated that Brendan had merely referred to them as 'starters'. More like companions or partners.

"That's good thinking, and I was thinking about Piplup, Dawn had one." May replied, thinking, once again about the blue haired now 11 year old. Blaziken remembered the Tag battle with Dawn's Piplup, and the stunning finish, that Blaziken pulled off. None the less, Dawn was pretty good for a rookie.

She stopped suddenly on the dusty and slightly sandy trail. Brendan glanced at her, to only be greeted with a smile as her feet went back in rhythm.

"So, if you knew what I was going to pick, why didn't you decide to pick Turtwig? You have always seemed to be the one who used type advantage to your well, advantage."  
"Wally likes green remember?" Brendan reminded her. "Actually, let me rephrase that, he adores green. He was awfully lucky his first pokemon was quite rare and powerful for a first and green as well."  
"Hmmm." The brunette simply as she noticed the track become sandier and sandier. "I do believe we are approaching Sandgem Town."  
"The name is rather uncreative though." Brendan remarked, kicking some sand up, sending a random shell into the air, before landing unceremoniously. He turned around to Swampert, who was walking in the shallows.

"I think it is time you returned Swampert." He said, as he took out Swampert's pokeball. A light enveloped his Swampert, and retreated into the sphere.  
"You too Blaziken." May said, as a similar light sent the fiery fighting pokemon into his pokeball. She minimized the pokeball and clipped it to her belt, in eerie synchronized time to Brendan.  
They finally and officially entered the small town, and headed straight to Professor Rowan's lab.  
To both of their surprises, a green haired boy was already in the lab, claiming a pokeball from the Professor.  
But as he turned his eyes towards the two newcomers they realized something.

It was not the green haired boy they were planning to meet.


	2. Double Double Turtwig Trouble

**A/N: Having finished a few chapters already, chapters may come in swift succession.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon, nor do i own an interesting disclaimer for this chapter**

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Chapter 2: Double Double Turtwig Trouble

"Drew!"

The single word from the brunette's mouth floated around the otherwise silent lab. The green haired teenager in question merely glanced up with a signature smirk.

"We meet again, do we May? Just can't get enough of me, can you?" he drawled arrogantly, pressing the button on his nearly acquired pokeball, reducing its size. He flicked his hair while doing so, a vain action that annoyed Brendan; why did May know such an annoying person?

May opened her mouth to retaliate, before Brendan cut in, as swiftly as he cut through his own thoughts.

"Well that is not Wally, he has the same hair color though." Brendan said rather rudely, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes, Captain Obvious." May said with a roll of her eyes.

"And who are you?" Drew questioned with the same rude tone, eyebrow raised. "Her grandfather?"

Brendan looked more insulted them he usually did, for he normally let that pass. He swiftly removed his white hat to reveal his natural black hair, and dragged said hat back into crossed arms. Fire raged in his ruby red eyes, threatening to set alight Drew's grassy emerald ones. Cool Sapphire ones tried to extinguish the hate between the two teenage boys.

"I am Brendan Birch of Littleroot Town in Hoenn, son of Professor Birch." He said in an irritated yet proud tone. To his amazement, Drew was not impressed; his smirk still perched upon his face, and it appeared that it was not coming off anytime soon. How Brendan wished he could wipe it off his face. Drew's fan club, no matter how much he hated it, was far larger than any Professor's son. Gary did not count, being the grandson, and Drew was quickly overtaking the Oak. Brendan himself was slightly cocky, but he was still nice and caring to those around him. Drew was an obvious exception.

"And I am Drew Hayden, Top Coordinator, of LaRousse City, also in Hoenn." He replied in a cool and confident tone. Both boys were cocky, but in different ways. "Pity that is not your hair, you have the red eyes to match, Albino."

By now, Brendan was furious with this obnoxious yet cool trainer, so different from fellow grass head Wally. May did not know how to break up the two with their duel of sharp words. Sometimes May wondered why she knew Drew; he knew which buttons to push to make someone irritated, though his fan club seemed to drink up his insults like they were a proposal for marriage.

"So May, how do you know him?" Drew asked in a pleasant tone, turning to the brunette, seemly oblivious to Brendan's anger.

"Eh…we were best friends when we were little." May explained, surprised at the sudden question and the change in the atmosphere; Rayquaza would not be happy. "Professor Birch and my father were always trying to convince me into being a trainer. They were trying to make Brendan drag me along for the ride. I managed to not come with him, and instead joined up with Ash, and you know the rest."

Before Drew could reply to their awkward atmosphere and the probable rage of Rayquaza of having to fix yet another hole, though minor and metaphoric, in the ozone layer, the doors to the Lab opened once more, revealing yet another trainer, though this time it was more familiar to Brendan. His hair was a paler and yellower green than Drew's chartreuse hair. His eyes were not of emeralds, but rather of pale blue, reflecting like a mirror of his previous illness. Not only that, Drew towered over the feeble and short boy. A few drops of sweat trickled down his pale skin, as if he had been walking through a shower of rain. He had been clearly running, something that was quite bad for the sickly boy, though he had recovered quite well since the last time May saw him, two or three years ago.

A bit of running could no longer harm the boy; it seemed that traveling did better good for him than staying put, as was recommended.

Brendan and May had met him when he started out on his journey. He had asked May's father, Norman, the Gym Leader of the Petalburg City Gym, which specialized in normal types, to help capture a pokemon. Brendan had been there attempting to challenge the gym, though Norman had declined because Brendan had not gotten a badge yet, and May had been watching from the sidelines, as she had been obligated to stay there to simply watch battles that day. Brendan had offered to help. Norman forced May to watch the boring experience, even if it was a Ralts. At least it was not a poochyena or tailow or something like that. If he had caught a Zigzagoon it would have been pointless for Norman to lend his to him.

"Sorry I am late!" Wally exclaimed, as he noticed two familiar faces, one more fresh than the other, though the other one was still recognizable. The unfamiliar Drew was ignored, as not every trainer in a room had to be addressed. The arrogant fellow in question did not really mind being ignored, surprisingly. He simply stood there, observing their conversation, and observing May's friends. Thankfully his fan club was not here. The last time he had seen her was at the Johto Grand Festival, which was not very long ago. Yet, it seemed that their Sinnoh Adventure would be rather interesting.

"Its okay, Wally!" the only female trainer in the room said with a cheery smile. "We just arrived five minutes ago, and besides, we have not chosen our pokemon yet. Brendan is getting Chimchar, I am getting Piplup, leaving you with Turtwig 'cause he is green."

The slightly puffed out Wally looked up with optimism, his pale eyes sparkling with delight at the prospect of having the green turtwig. Brendan had placed his hat on his head firmly once more, as Drew's attention was not directed at him. Drew was leaning against a wall, with a cool air about him, a clear contrast to Brendan's previous slouch, back at the port. Drew was on the same ship as May, however, the Ship was so large they never saw each other on the cruise.

"I wanted Turtwig! It was the pokemon I wanted! Thank you, you guys are the best!" he cried with happiness, though it was not guraranteeded to last, as a certain ignored teenager snapped out of his thoughts and punctured the merriment of the situation, after he had finished his little surveillance.

"I took Turtwig." Drew said, as his feet sounded against the floor, calm and slow paces, as he left his place against the wall, and towards the gang, showing the minimized pokeball between his slender fingertips; he had not yet put it away. It was in the same pose a rose for May would've been. A signature smirk was plastered across Drew's face. Actually, Drew was planning to give May a rose, knowing that May would go to Sinnoh, being curious after the Wallace Cup. He had not told her where he was going, though through processes of elimination it was easy to see where he was going. And anyway, it was her fault she never asked.

But she had two boys hanging over her shoulder, two suspicious boys who would be suspicious of his not-romantic-roses-honestly. So no.

Wally finally noticed his fellow grass-head, and yet opposite. Wally was generally a nice and shy boy, while Drew was an arrogant and annoying guy. Even if you mistook one for the other, one word could make you realize you had made a bad mistake, especially if it was Drew, and you were a desperate Fan Girl. Though having that said, it was doubtful that a fan of Drew would mistake him for a not very well known trainer called Wally. Wally's happiness was extinguished, not by a water pokemon, but by a doppelganger of his, though Drew had shiner and brighter hair, with emerald eyes to match. His skin was not pale because of illness like Wally's either, and besides, it wasn't deathly white, just paler than May's.

Wally came all the way to Sinnoh to be with May once more, just like Brendan. It was supposed to be a reunion. The reunion was not between Wally and Brendan, who had been travelling together for the past few years, but to see and travel with May. He wanted that green and brown pokemon.

"I wanted that Turtwig, let us battle for it!" Wally exclaimed, already enlarging a pokeball. However, despite everything, Drew was still calm, his smirk got annoying already to the newly acquainted Wally. One hand was on his hip, the other one held triumphantly the pokeball that Wally wanted. Actually, even if Drew could hear Wally's name from their conversation, they had not been officially introduced.

"First come, first serve." He drawled. "It is officially mine."

Even though Wally was normally kind, everything changed in the presence of green pokemon. He had always loved green. It was probably the fact that his hair was green. It was quite unique, but now, a trainer with brighter and nicer green stood in his way. Green was also the color of nature, which was all around them.

"Drew is right, it is his to own. You can simply catch another pokemon with the help of one of mine. The next set of pokemon is due tomorrow" Professor Rowan interrupted. No one else on the ship had decided on a starter pokemon for Sinnoh it seemed. Annoying coincidences and plot devices.

Wally remembered how Ralts was his first pokemon because he was to leave that day and he was too far away from Professor Birch to gain a starter.  
"Exactly, simple problem solved." Drew said simply, before turning towards May. "I cannot believe you are travelling with such immature boys; though perhaps they rubbed off _you._"

"How dare you insult May!" Brendan said, finally blowing his top after silently fuming while Drew calmly dealt with Wally. Drew raised his eyebrow, flicking Turtwig's pokeball in the air, before catching it and clipping it to his belt.

"Well, I should go now; I expect to see you in the Jubilife Contest, May." Drew said, walking casually out the door without another word, flicking his chartreuse bangs in an all too familiar and egoistical gesture.

May wisely let her two male companions slowly emerge from their anger, as she approached Professor Rowan, and the two remaining pokeballs.

"What pokemon would you like?" Professor Rowan asked as she came over.

"Piplup." She said automatically, as he handed her the pokeball. She smiled as she added the new addition to her team, which consisted currently of Blaziken, Venusaur, Glaceon, Beautifly and now her new Piplup. Skitty, Wartortle and Munchlax were at home with her father Norman. She hoped that she wouldn't need to capture many new pokemon. She believed in strong bonds between trainer and pokemon. She remembered the time when Drew treated Absol badly. She would never do something like that, and she hoped her rival would never return to those ways either.

Professor Rowan also handed her several Pokeballs and a Pokedex as per usual.

Brendan was now comforting Wally, before coming up to get his Chimchar. Brendan had his Swampert, Shiftry, Aggron, Rhyperior, and now Chimchar, having five pokemon just like May.

"How can you stand that narcissist Drew?" Brendan interrogated suddenly when they left the Lab, just like an annoying news reporter that randomly pops out of no where.

"Its hard, but I am determined to try and beat him of course!" she exclaimed. Brendan beamed at her, like a proud father. Brendan loved fighting. That was another reason to choose Chimchar, it evolved into a fighting type. When he had just started out on his journey, he did not think of choosing the cute Torchic. They chatted animatedly, even when they got into the Pokemon Center, which one would find convenient in the small seaside town. They booked a room, argued about who was sleeping on which bunk, and which bed they were sleeping on, since there were two bunk beds, meaning one bed was spare. In the end May got a whole bunk bed to herself, deciding on the top bunk and dumped her stuff on the bottom one. Brendan also got the top bunk, with Wally underneath. Wally did not really talk on the way to the center.

Wally had begrudgingly followed his two other companions. That day Wally met someone and learned something.

He hated Drew Hayden.


	3. Full of Jubilife

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I dont own pokemon.**

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**Chapter 3: Full of Jubilife**

The door to their room creaked open. At this time of morning May was lightly sleeping. Her eyes opened, creeping over to the door, not literally of course. She peered at the intruder. He had yellowy green hair, which identified him as Wally. Her eyes darted over to the top bunk on the opposite wall. Brendan's eyes were wide open with surprise too.

"I went to Professor Rowan's Lab as soon as it opened!" he exclaimed loudly, too loudly for that time of morning. "I got myself a Turtwig!" he announced, doing a tacky pose and a wide grin. Wally was not inclined to quickly forget that Drew had taken a green pokemon right under his nose. Naturally, Wally could not get to sleep because that one simple fact. The expression on his face could be described as mad, mad with green though, not with power. If Wally was to take over the world his only command would be to give him all the green of the world. His team composed of his Gardevoir, Sceptile, Roselia, Flygon, and his new Turtwig. All of his current pokemon were green. Gardevoir had evolved from his Ralts, and he had obtained Sceptile from Professor Birch, when he had announced to his uncle he would go on a journey. He had obtained Roselia as a Budew and Flygon as a Vibrava; he did not catch a Trapinch because they were not green, and were far from them; in fact until later, he did not know that Trapinchs evolved into green Vibravas.

He was very lively now, to the delight of his two travelling companions.

If it wasn't for the fact that he had interrupted their beauty sleep. Yes beauty, including Brendan.

"Come on, let us get the show on the road! To Jubilife!" Wally said in a loud and cheerful voice.

"Er Wally, do you know what the time is?" Brendan questioned.

"No."

"It is six o'clock, can we at least have one more hour of sleep?"  
"Actually I doubt I can return to sleep now." May muttered, yawning with half-opened eyes to glance over at her ruby-eyed friend.

"True." Brendan agreed. He was tucked firmly under his warm covers. Though his backpack was beside the bunk bed, and beside Wally's backpack, his hat was perched on a corner of Brendan's bunk. May eyed the snowy hat in a mischievous way. She got out of her bed, still in her pajamas, and ascended up the ladder attached to the boys' bunk. Brendan opened his mouth questioningly, but with a thump she landed on the floor, his white hat in her hand. Brendan too, lept off his bed, and chased her around their room. She quickly chucked it at Wally who got tackled seconds afterward.

"Well at least you are awake now." She noted with a giggle as Brendan scrambled off Wally with his hat in his hand.

Route 202 was a windy route, no doubt; though the route would be easy if climbing the ledges was possible. Brendan attempted to do so, to no avail; May and Wally were laughing at him too. The route differentiated between normal grass and tall grass, meaning at random times they could be mobbed by random pokemon that held relatively low interest to all three humans. All three of the humans had their starters alongside them; the fresh air was doing them good. Wally was gazing fondly at his Turtwig and its greenness, in a _totally _non stalker way. Brendan and Chimchar were 'chatting' about battling. The only female human in the group was walking peacefully with Piplup. Their conversation was calm as well, as May questioned Piplup on contests. Piplup seemed thrilled to be a contest pokemon it seemed.

"There is a contest in Jubilife, the up coming City." May continued, as Piplup perked up. May smiled at her eager Sinnoh starter. May did not watch where she was going though, and before she knew it, she was knee deep in tall grass. A Starly whizzed past, the second one she had seen so far. Ash had caught one while in the Sinnoh region. From when they were communicating, Ash's Starly had now fully evolved into a Staraptor. It seemed to be more of a battle pokemon than a contest pokemon, so catching it was unnecessary. And as it was the second she had seen, she had no need to scan it with a pokedex.  
Soon afterwards though, she saw yet another Starly, and this one seemed to have a killing intent, well more of a battling intent. Damn tall grass. She had no idea why pokemon that did not actually live in tall grass were inclined to attack people while they were in it. When they had came from Canalave City, there were few patches of grass compared to these.

The Starly aimed at her with a tackle, but before it even came close to her, it was pecked away by her Piplup.

"Bubblebeam!" May said quickly, hastily remembering a move that Piplup could use. Almost as soon as she said it, blue-tinted bubbles flew out of Piplup's beak in quick succession at the other bird, who got knocked back.

"Quick, use peck again!" she finished as Piplup ran towards the Starly, peck glowing, before he jumped, knocking the Starly out.

"Awesome job Piplup!" she said joyously as Piplup landed. It was not overconfident like Dawns, it was nice and caring. Piplup made its call with happiness.

"Chimchar, ember!" Brendan's voice cried out as May turned to find that her companions had entered the rather large sea of grass, though she could hardly see Wally, he was good camouflage. He or rather his Chimchar was fighting a Kricketot. You could clearly see the ember against the highly flammable tall grass.

"Now, finish with a scratch!" Brendan said, as the Kricketot fainted into the grass. The black haired boy met her glaze with a smile.

"Impressive no?" he asked confidently at his brunette friend. Chimchar was also as confident as his new trainer, but May and her Piplup were not going down either.

"How about a battle huh?" she asked as she stepped out of the tall grass.  
"Nah, besides, we have just arrived in Jubilife City if you have not noticed yet." Brendan replied lazily as he gestured to the large city, the largest in all of Sinnoh.

"Wow!" she exclaimed as she walked slightly further into the city. A green haired trainer with a Turtwig was already there, but unfortunately it was not Wally.

"It pales against LaRousse City." Drew explained arrogantly, as he flicked his chartreuse hair once more, without turning to see the happy sapphire-eyed May and her Piplup.

"You again!" Brendan accused with a dramatic finger, as he stepped out of the grass. Drew merely shrugged it off.

"I am merely here for the contest, Old Man." He taunted with a smirk.

"You shouldn't be here, the grass is back there." Brendan retorted, pointing at the tall grass of Route 202. However, he had been pointing directly at Wally, who became irritated.

"Uh oh." Brendan muttered, quickly lowering his hand. Drew laughed coolly as he strolled away calmly.

"And where do you think you're going?" Wally shouted at Drew's back, who chuckled.

"To the Poketch Shop of course." He said before leaving their sight.

"Poketch?" May repeated in puzzlement, tilting her head in a cute and childish way.

"I heard about them, they are watches and they have many applications, like the Kitchen Timer and the Calculator." Brendan said automatically, forcing himself not to blush. Wally looked bewildered.

"Since when did you become smart?" he asked in sarcastic awe.

"Shut up." Brendan muttered, "Now, let us get a room first, then we register May for her first Sinnoh Contest then we go buy a Poketch then-."  
"Wow, Brendan is becoming organized." May exclaimed in the same patronizing and mocking tone Wally used. She was more joking around her childhood friends in their little trio of a group. Wally and May exchanged grins, and Brendan could not help it but feel a tiny bit jealous.

May collapsed on her bed the very moment they stepped in their assigned room. Seconds later her Piplup dived onto the bed as well, issuing a few giggles from the happy teenager. May was now sleeping on the bottom bunk. She glanced over to Brendan and Wally, who were arguing about bunks again. Chimchar was punching in the air, being a competitive pokemon. Turtwig was just watching their little battle of words.

"And the victory goes to Brendan from Littleroot." May announced jokingly, complete with arms, as Brendan claimed the top bunk once more. Wally slumped onto the bottom bunk, glancing at May and her jokes. It was late morning now; they had breakfast before they left for Jubilife of course. They still had time to register May and get a couple of Poketchs before Lunch; Brendan had become more organized over the years.

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May slid her new pokedex into the slot at the Contest Hall, as she got registered. The Contest was the next day, but better be safe than sorry right? Brendan and Wally had decided to go to the Poketch shop while she was registering, therefore saving time, and meaning that they could go back to the center in time for lunch. She had asked for a blue one, to match her eyes, Brendan decided on a red one while Wally wanted a, you guessed it, a green one.

Piplup was back in their room, socializing with his fellow starters.

May was lucky have already have experience in Sinnoh Contests. You needed to dress up for every contest, though you were allowed to only have one costume for all your contests. You also needed seals and a ball capsule. The Seals, which resembled stickers, went on the Ball Capsule which in turn went around the Pokeball. When your pokemon was sent out, special effects would replace the usual flash.

Her Pokedex popped out again, along with a card that held her basic information. She was also handed an envelope of aforementioned Seals, as well as Ball Capsules. By her estimates, the two would have arrived at the Center by now.

"You made it in time. You know I am quite surprised you did not follow me into the Poketch shop; you seem to follow me everywhere. I can't blame you though, since I am the one and only Drew Hayden." A familiar voice called out with his usual egoistic comments. May turned, even if she knew who it was, especially when the said person had told her his name in his arrogant words.

Now May got to see him clearly without Brendan or Wally to get irritated by him, and she didn't blame them either, she saw that he was taller, with a slim build. His chartreuse hair was as normal, though slightly shinier than a few months ago. It was amazing how quickly he was growing. And of course his emerald eyes shone from underneath his bangs.

Still, he was still the same Drew she knew only a mere few months ago.

Before she knew it, a thorn-less rose had been thrown to her with grace. She caught it easily as it fluttered down towards the ground. She sniffed the rose, inhaling the sweet scent she was oh so familiar with. She did not see the faint blush that was on her face, or the look of smug satisfaction from her rival.

"That is for registering early. I can't have my rival miss out; I would not have the fun of defeating them." Drew explained in a vain way.

She glared at her rival before, blush suddenly gone, and promptly left the hall, as she headed towards the Center once more, where her two male friends awaited her. They both had a Poketch on their wrists of the latest models, and when she was noticed, Brendan handed her, her own matching blue Poketch with a grin on his face.

"Shall we have lunch?" Brendan asked, to be replied by the eager face of May.

"I want ramen!" she exclaimed happily. Brendan grinned even wider.

"You are still the same May, despite all these years." Brendan remarked.

"It's only been a few, Brendan." May whined as she dragged Brendan by the hand to the Pokemon Center Restaurant, oblivious to the gentle blush that graced the black-haired trainer.


	4. A 'Family' Reunion

**A/N: Well its mini question time. **

**Icececat: ****i am trying to make them stay in character for as long as possible, and subtly making them less in character. And we do need to remember that Brendan and Wally need their badges. This fic has only started!**

**A 100 Angels: You dont expect me to put everything in the story do you? She put the rose in her little bag before she went to meet Brendan and Wally. Brendan is already pissed at Drew, and i doubt May would show him the rose in case he gets the wrong idea. Or right. This is a contestshipping fic after all.**

**It is one year after Ash and co. were in Sinnoh, and when May was in Johto. As a region equals to one year roughly, May is thirteen (She was ten in Hoenn, eleven in Kanto and twelve in Johto. And we dont know when their birthdays are) Brendan and Wally are also thirteen. Brendan is older than May though, by a few months, and Wally is roughly around May's age. Dawn is eleven, Ash is fifteen etc. **

**And speaking of people, we are going to meet two other characters this chapter. No, not OCs, i prefer canon. If the title didn't give it away i dont know what would, besides putting their names here. **

**ATTENTION CONTESTSHIPPERS: The second half of the chapter is hoennshipping, or rather one side****d on Brendan's part. If you detest hoennshipping, then you may proceed onto the next chapter after the divider (not the Authors Note divider though).**

**Disclaimer: Do you think i own Pokemon? No i dont. **

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**Chapter 4. 'Family' Reunion**

It was a nice morning in Jubilife City. Luckily for the brunette and her 'white haired' friend, Wally did not burst into the room with the pokeball of a green pokemon. She had decided to do some training before the Jubilife Contest that afternoon. She had merely told Brendan and Wally that she was off training, and both were okay with it, and creepily, Brendan had predicted that she would go off training at the time she did. She mentally noted the time he expected her to be back and promised herself that she would not return at that time.

She decided to train in the forest. Piplup was already beside her as they entered the green forest, greeted by many pokemon.

"Let us train your Bubblebeam Piplup!" she said, and Piplup had already aimed a nearby tree with the blue orbs. Glowing sparkles rebounded off the trees as the bubbles burst, unknowingly in a way similar to the bubblebeam appeal Dawn had created for Piplup before the Jubilife Contest.

"Nice job!" May congratulated, making her Piplup happy. She couldn't think of anything she could pull off for the contest in a few hours though.

"Wait Piplup, you can use Bide right?" she enquired. Piplup nodded as well as its cute call.

"Well that makes our training a lot easier. Lets go team!" she said, flinging her four other pokeballs. Blaziken, Venusaur, Glaceon and Beautifly.

"This is Piplup, our new team member!" she said enthusiastically, as her current team members greeted their new addition the best they could, especially because of Venusaur's size.

"I thought you guys needed some fresh air! But right now I am training with Beautifly and Piplup okay?" she asked, and her team nodded, before chatting.

"So, Beautifly, Silver Wind, Piplup, Bubblebeam!" she commanded, reminding her of the first appeal she ever saw Drew's Masquerain do. And it had the same effect, bubbles and waves of semi-transparent silver crashing over and around. It was truly beautiful. Beautifly was overhead, and Piplup had shot his Bubblebeam straight at Beautifly, knowing the Silver Wind would simply send it down in sparkles anyway in a silvery cascading waterfall.

"Now Piplup use Bide, Beautifly, Psychic your Silver Wind towards Piplup!" May said after admiring the beauty, making a risky move. The bluish wind surrounded Piplup, but did not hit him. It created a Silver Wind tornado with a twist.

"Piplup, Release, Beautifly, Flash!" May finished, as Piplup's silvery tornado spread through their little area, before being lighted up and emphasized with a flash, ending it with a shower of sparkles.

"That was amazing!" May praised honestly. "First double appeal we have, we are so doing that!"

Shortly after returning her pokemon, she swore she could hear people nearby, ones that had the faint shadow of recognition.

"Eat this cookie!" a girlish voice exclaimed in the clearing that May was approaching. She froze, as she recognized the voice rather clearly.

When she entered the clearing her thoughts were proved right.

"May darling!" A man with long purple hair dressed in a Cacturne costume exclaimed as he went over to her the very second she entered his sight. He held her hands as he looked down towards the shorter and younger coordinator in the annoying way May knew. Back in Hoenn and Kanto, Harley tried to win by cheating, even insisting that she make it through solely by using Silver Wind or Assist. Drew saw through it, but boy was she gullible back then.

"Harley." She whined, getting away from his grip, but as soon as she moved away, a cookie was shoved in her face, the shape of herself, complete with green outfit.

"No thank you Harley." She grumbled. Harley looked shocked as he withdrew the cookie. He had gotten over her 'not half bad' comment, but was still insulted with new ones.

"Solidad and Drew already declined, but you, how could you, hon?" he exclaimed. May's head jolted over in the direction of more voices in the clearing. There they were, Solidad and the already acknowledged Drew. Solidad was leaning against a tree, while Drew was sitting crossed legged with his eyes closed. His eyes shot open as soon as she looked over at them though. Turtwig was sitting beside his trainer. On his other side was his prized Roserade who was his first pokemon. Unknowingly, two grass heads had the same pokemon, Flygon, and Drew had the evolution of Wally's Roselia.

"Hey May!" the older woman greeted, the first familiar woman she had seen since she set foot in Sinnoh, unless you counted the many Nurse Joys, and she had never met the Nurse Joys of Sinnoh before.

"Solidad!" she replied to the Kanto Grand Festival winner.

"I can't believe we saw you again so soon!" Harley exclaimed before Solidad could reply, as he proceeded to hug her.

However, May's Piplup came to the rescue, gently pecking the purpled haired teenager away.

"Nice Piplup you got there." Solidad said, with a smug smile on her face as Harley got chased around the clearing by a penguin pokemon.

"Thanks, did you get a starter?" May asked curiously, averting her eyes from the green clad figure and her Piplup who by now was bubblebeaming Harley.

"My hair!" she heard him squeal.

"No. Neither did Harley." Solidad replied, eyes still on Harley and May's Piplup.  
"Are you traveling with Harley again?" May asked the older woman.

"Yes. He came with me on the ship too. Drew left without us."

"I can't believe he did!" Harley said in an overly dramatic voice, standing still in a dramatic pose, before Piplup pecked him down.

"Shush." Drew called out in an irritated voice; whenever Drew was around Solidad he tended to be more mature, slightly mind you. Solidad was like his mother, and mentor, after all, Solidad had beaten him first time round. Drew had cried afterwards. Before she knew it too, when Solidad won the Kanto Grand Festival, she also cried. It was weird, she was so nice, and she won it fair and square, so why waste tears?

"Drew is here after being chased by his fan girls." Solidad explained. May looked over to Drew again.  
"At least we are together, one happy family!" Harley exclaimed happily. "We can travel together and-."

"Actually I am traveling with two of my childhood friends." May interrupted. Harley froze, not literally of course.

"Nooo! You can't!"  
"Actually Harley I can."  
"You are coming with us. Wait, May?"

May had already left the rest of the crazy family with a headache which she hoped would clear up before the contest. Lost in her thoughts, she accidently bumped into someone with white hair.

"I so sorry!" she exclaimed. "Oh wait it's you."

"You wound me." Brendan said sarcastically. "How was training? You don't look so good." He said in a caring tone.

"I bumped into some of my Johto friends." May explained. "One of them, Harley gave me a headache from shouting."

Brendan chuckled in a soothing way as they walked away from the forest around Jubilife.

"How about I train with you? That way I can ward off any bad influences. I am sure they do not know me." Brendan offered.

"So, where is Wally?" she questioned.

"Who cares May, who cares?"

---

May; the last time Brendan saw the girl; she was around the age of ten back then. He had wanted to travel with her; however, May was not easily swayed, as she was not exactly fond of Pokemon, despite living in a world populated with them. Brendan had instead gone alone with Wally to his Uncle's place, but Wally decided to become a trainer himself, gaining a Treeko from Professor Birch, Brendan's father.

Three years later, they meet again, by predetermined means of a Pokenav call or two. She did not have her own Pokenav, but she borrowed Max's. They had always kept in touch; she kept him informed about his adventures with Ash and Brock, as well as her little brother. He heard her become more enthusiastic, and wished he was the one who had finally encouraged her.

He was jealous of Ash Ketchum.

Year after year she occasionally called him, tantalizing him, yearning her to call once more. She was his drug and he could not get enough of her. He always blamed it on the hormones that drove him crazy from time to time.

In Johto she bought herself a Pokegear, their equivalent to the Pokenav. Luckily Pokenavs and Pokegears were connected. They talked more, but she seemed to always leave things hanging. Sometimes she never called, and sometimes her calls were long.

Finally she called, telling him that she was due to go to Sinnoh. His eyes opened in happiness, for he to, was going to Sinnoh. They agreed to meet up, plus Wally of course. Their little trio would be reunited at last.

She had grown so much and yet so little. She had grown from the shy girl to a more confident young woman.

And she smiled; her warm and friendly smile. It always pained him when she was hurt.

"Chimchar, show 'em justice!" Brendan said, as his newest edition was released from his pokeball. They had decided to train on the opposite side of Jubilife City, in the forest on that side. May never returned her Piplup so she did not have to send Piplup out. It seemed relatively quiet, no stray trainers were over here it seemed.

May was staring up at the beautiful canopy, and the forest sounds: various pokemon calls, the sound of the wind in the willows and other noises too. It was a rather peaceful area, and it seemed that her headache was gradually getting better.

"Shall we have a battle? You did want one before we entered Jubilife." Brendan asked with a mock gentlemanly bow. May looked towards him nodded happily though absentmindedly in reply; Brendan grinned as their starters faced each other in battle poses.  
"Bubblebeam now!"

Blue tinted bubbles flew out of Piplup's beak towards the primate like pokemon, in quick succession.

"Flamewheel!" Brendan replied hastily, for he had been thrown off by May's sudden command, as Chimchar breathed out some fire from his mouth and started spinning towards Piplup, circled by flames; you could not see Chimchar within them. The flamewheel was slightly ineffective due to the bubblebeam hitting it at regular intervals, but it seemed like it would hit straight on target…

"Now!"

May's simple word made Brendan glance up. Right at the last minute Piplup had jumped up, and Chimchar had to turn around, losing momentum, as well as the fact that the flames had broke up since Chimchar had lost speed.

"Ember, Chimchar!"

"Bide!"  
Bullets of glowing fire were shot up at the penguin suspended in the air. Piplup was surrounded by orange-ish light, supplied from Chimchar's ember.

"Now!" May exclaimed as the orange light was shot towards Chimchar knocking it back against a tree.

"Peck!" she continued, as Piplup dived down, aided with his cape towards the Chimchar, his beak glowing and lengthening visibly.

"Quick, scratch and flamewheel!" Brendan said, as his Chimchar scratched at the approaching Piplup, while cloaked in flames knocking him away before the peck could pierce the fiery shield. Both starters were closely matched, as they landed on the ground in their battle stances once more.

"Bubblebeam!" May exclaimed once more as Chimchar was knocked back slightly by the bubbles.

"Ember once more!" Brendan said, as bubbles and embers of fire clashed together, creating steam.

"Stop and use Bide!" May ordered, as Bide was twice as strong as any attack that was sent at it, though the target was still damaged. The glowing figure stood out in the steam, with Chimchar still aiming at the Piplup, who's health was going down as he tried to hang in there.

"Now, Release!"

The steam was lit by the orange light, and when it faded into contest sparkles, Piplup stood victorious, though none the less tired.

"Return, Chimchar, you did good." Brendan said, assuring the pokemon inside its capsule.

"Return, Piplup, you deserve a good rest." May said to Piplup.  
"Your PIplup fought wonderfully." Brendan assured May, extending a hand, which May took graciously. Brendan tried not to blush; he did not want to let go of her soft hand.

"So did your Chimchar." May said modestly, as she sat down on the forest floor, yanking Brendan down with her, making him fall on top of her, though with a heavy blush on his face he scrambled away from her. She was laughing though.

"So, what are you going to use in the Contest?" Brendan asked, recovered from his violent blush.

"To be honest, I don't know." May admitted with a smile, her headache gone for good. "I am not using Piplup though, with three attacks he cannot really do anything. I think I will use Beautifly for the appeals, though I can't decide on the other pokemon for the battle round."

"When we reach Oreburgh and the Gym there, I think I will use Swampert. If I cannot defeat them with my Swampert, than my Shiftry will do the trick, I reckon." Brendan mused, choosing his type advantages with ease.

"You will mow the floor with those two won't you?" May exclaimed. Brendan had after all, started with Mudkip, and Seedot was his first capture. May, as a coordinator, did not capture so many pokemon at the start of her journey, as she had the aid of Ash and Brock, who also had pokemon.

"Of course!" Brendan replied, punching the air dramatically, standing up again.

"Better safe than sorry Brendan, I suggest you train or come up with a strategy. Gym Leaders only go easy on beginners, but they are constantly getting stronger, and for more experienced trainers, they give their all." May exclaimed, leaning against a tree. She did not get up like Brendan did.

Brendan decided not to protest, and with a smile, enlarged two pokeballs and sent out the pokemon within them, a Swampert and a Shiftry. All of his pokemon, with the exception of Chimchar, were large pokemon with great raw power.

May grinned, before sending out her Beautifly, the first pokemon she ever caught, as Torchic did not count. Ever since she watched a Contest, she wanted a Beautifly, and her wish had come true.

"Hmmm…" she muttered aloud, thinking about a good combination.

"Beautifly, use String Shot!" she started, as Beautifly shot a string shot in any direction.

"Psychic it into a Spiral!" she continued, as the string glowed and turned into a spiraling tunnel.

"Silver Wind!" she ordered, as the Silver Wind cut through the String tunnel, forming a glittery tube.

"Aerial Ace!" she commanded, as Beautifly became faster, becoming covered in the silver and string particles. Beautifly was surrounded by a sphere of silvery sparkles.

"Morning Sun, and finish it with Gust!" she finished, as Beautifly glowed yellow, like the sun. Gold light clashed with silver glitter, before the gold was reduced to more sparkles once Beautifly beat its wings.

"Beautiful." Brendan commented, clapping, as Beautifly decended onto May's bandana.

"Thanks." May said. Brendan had been trying to work up a strategy, but May's appeal was too distracting. His two pokemon had already gone back into their pokeballs.

"You know, I am going to wait until after the contest to make a strategy. We still have some time for food though. What do you want?" Brendan asked, helping May stand up, and before she could reply, he added. "Besides ramen."

"Uh, Pecha berry flavored Moomoo Ice Cream." May said as they started to exit the forest; leaves crunched under their feet as their walked.

"Heh, I was thinking of being a Chesto Berry Sundae." Brendan said with a wide grin. "So ramen and some ice cream. Interesting combination if I say so myself. "  
May stuck out her tongue in an adorable way.

"Actually I am not having ramen."  
Brendan gasped in a sarcastic way.

"May, not having Ramen? Shock horror!" Brendan exclaimed.

"I think I might have a lava cookie or two, and maybe a Rage Manju." May said. "They have those here in Sinnoh right?"

"Hope so." Brendan replied, as the sunlight greeted them.

Wally's cheek was against the window in the ice cream parlor; he had nothing to do while Brendan ran off. Brendan had an obvious crush on May, coming to terms with it. And they hadn't seen each other for so long. But he was strangely alone.

His sorbet lay untouched.

Two people sat on the same table as him though, and he smiled at them. They were the people he was looking for, May and Brendan. And boy was he glad.


	5. Jubilife Jam

**A/N: **

**KJ: I will give you and everyone else a spoiler, Chapter 8 is dedicated to Wally; it is even called Wally's Wonderland. But first we need to get through the Jubilife Contest (Chapters 5 and 6)  
The plot moves fast, so you can probably tell what is in Chapter 7.**

**Angels: No i was not. And you do know that i update quicker than many/most authors. One per day! It will probably slow down some time though...**

**Lame title but lets get the show on the road!  
Disclaimer: Do i look like i own pokemon? Wait you can't see me... **

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**Chapter 5: Jubilife Jam!**

May licked her Pecha Ice Cream with happiness. She was disappointed when the last bit of ice cream vanished into her mouth, but none the less chowed down the cone.  
Brendan threw away his plastic cup and spoon as they headed to the Contest Hall. He also held a lava cookie in his other hand, half eaten; crumbs covered his mouth, which May pointed out with a laugh.  
Wally was quickly trying to finish his melting Sorbet.

"So, what is the rush for May, we still have an hour till the contest?" Brendan asked, making conversation.  
"Well i need to change into my costume." May explained, wiping her mouth free of ice cream.  
"Ah yes, Girls take forever to change." Brendan said, recklessly. May looked angry, while Wally looked worried.  
"Brendan Birch!"  
"That's my name, don't wear it out." He replied automatically.  
"You two find seats." May said in a slight irritated tone. Brendan realised his mistakes; luckily his cockiness was rather different from Drew's; she could hardly live a life with two Drews.  
"Yes Ma'am." Brendan said hastily as he dragged Wally with him into the Hall.  
May grinned; she needed some peace before the Contest; luckily her headache from before had gone already.

She wondered if she would wear this costume for every contest here. It was what she wore for the Wallace cup. However, it was not that formal. It still looked nice though. She blew on her veil in boredom as she watched the screen.

"Welcome to the Annual Jubilife City Contest!"

Cheers erupted from the hall.

"Let me introduce you to our Judges. First, the Director of the Pokemon Contests, Mr. Contesta!"

"Its a pleasure to be here."

"Next, a man of few words and the President of the Pokemon Fanclub, its Mr. Sukizo!"  
"Jubilife City is remarkable!"

"And finally, Jubilife City's own Nurse Joy!"

"I am looking forward to seeing all the wonderful pokemon."

"And how am i you ask? Why i am your Master of Ceremonies, Marian!" the woman concluded, the noise going up in a crescendo.

May swore her headache was coming back with the noise. Because of this she did not see a certain green haired coordinator stealing worried glances over at her, though sometimes they were directed at her outfit. But Drew knew it would be awkward if he went over to her and asked her if she was okay, because May knew him as a cocky bastard.

Drew was wearing a white suit with a tail coat, looking vaguely similar to Zoey when she was in the Wallace Cup, though Zoey wore a red and gold patterned version of what Drew was wearing. He had thought of getting a green one, but there would be too much green, so he limited the green to the edges. His hair was smoothly gelled back, giving that extra shine and a nice touch. However, he did not put on too much gel, so his bangs could still be flicked in that oh so familiar way.

A fresh sparkling rose was the centrepiece of his green-trimmed suit. Its aroma spread through out the waiting room. Of course the scent caught May's nose, and it soothed her headache. She glanced up at the rose, and then looked towards the chartreuse haired boy who had the rose. He held a pokeball in his hand, and by the flora seal on it, May could tell he was using Roserade in the appeals. She herself had chosen to give Beautifly a Party Seal. While she was participating in the Wallace Cup, she used a Seals, so she already knew a bit about seals. She had used her Johto Pass for the contest.

She looked around spotting Harley, but not Solidad.

"And of course the winner of this contest will receive the sought after Jubilife Ribbon!" Marian concluded after her speech on explaining contests, she held up a ribbon to great applause.

"So let's go!" she announced.

"First off its Pewter City's Solidad!" Marian announced as the curtain of the small door came up to reveal Solidad. She was wearing a dress the color of her hair. It was a summer dress, thin and billowy, unlike Dawn or one of Jessie's many dresses. It was trimmed with a blue the same color as her eyes, and was tied with a ribbon the same orange color as her usual top.

"She really looks different with a dress." May muttered, and Drew agreed in his head. She had never looked so feminine before, this brought out such a nice side to Solidad.

"Slowbro, lets go!" she said, as her Slowbro came out, spinning on his shell and surrounded by bubbles.

"What an entrance." May commented.

"Confusion." Solidad began, as the rainbow colored bubbles became controlled by a glowing light. They turned into a spiral above Slowbro.  
"Shadow Ball then Zen Headbutt." Solidad said, as a Shadow Ball was shot into the bubble spiral, nearly chipping away at the bubbles, before Slowbro hit his glowing head on the bubbles and shadow ball, sending blue and purple sparkles flying.  
"Fire Blast and Brine on the ground." She commanded, sending a combination of fire and water to stop Slowbro from landing too fast. Steam filled the stage.  
"Finish it with Thunderwave." Solidad finished, as the Steam was lit up and dispersed by lightning. Slowbro landed on his tail once more.

Cheers filled the stage.

"Well that was quite electrifying." Marian said.

"You showed off a variety of elemental attacks, showing us that Slowbro is not just a pokemon of water and psychic." Mr. Contesta analysed.  
"Not to mention remarkable." Mr. Sukizo remarked.  
"You went from move to move smoothly." Nurse Joy pointed out.

"Now next up it is-"

"You were amazing Solidad." Drew said as Solidad re-entered the waiting room.  
"Why thank you Drew." Solidad replied.

The sound from the audience made it obvious that another appeal had finished.

"Next up is Brianna!" Marian announced.

May was jolted out of her thoughts at the familiar name and looked at the screen. Sure enough it was the Brianna she knew. But now her red hair had grown longer, and she had matured more. She was really pretty now, yet she still had that innocent aura she had when they first met. She wore a red dress modeled after a rose. She was really set out to impress Drew.

May had gotten an invitation to a contest in Chrysanthemum Island from Brianna. Brianna had forgotten to sign her name, and as she had placed a rose with the letter, May had assumed it was from Drew. When she arrived at the contest, she discovered that Drew was not going to participate in the contest, for the letter was an invitation. While practicing with her Munchlax, Brianna nearly got hit by a focus punch. Brianna had tried to hand May a rose, though Munchlax ate it. May then discovered that it was Brianna that had given her the invitation. May had introduced Brianna to Drew, too.

She had won her third Kanto ribbon in that contest.

"Masquerain, come on out!" she called, as her Masquerain came out surrounded by hearts. Brianna had basically the same pokemon that Drew had. Once her Masquerain was a Surskit.  
"Water sport and bubble!" she commanded, as clear bubbles floated into the air, and water appeared from Masquerain's wings.  
"Gust!" Brianna said, as the water and bubbles were blown away into blue dust around Masquerain.  
"Finish it with Sweet Scent!" she finished, as a ring of pink powder blew from Masquerain's wings and joined the blue dust in shades of purple. Some of the sweet scent blew over the crowd too.

"Well isn't that sweet?" Marian said. "Lets see what the judges say."

"You showed off the different aspects of Masquerain well." Mr. Contesta said.  
"Quite remarkable." Mr. Sukizo remarked.  
"It is obvious your Masquerain has been cared for well." Nurse Joy commented.

May's eyes widened, Brianna had been practicing well. She heard Brianna go up to Drew. The two struck up a conversation. Brianna sported a blush the same color as her dress the whole way through.

"Next up its Slateport City's Harley!"

Three pairs of eyes looked over to the screen.  
Harley was merely wearing his cacturne outfit, as he counted as a costume.

"Come out my lovely Banette!"  
His Banette was shrouded by smoke.

"Will-o-Wisp!" he said first, as glowing flames surrounded the smoke, making Banette's silhouette rather creepy.  
"Thunder!" he exclaimed as the smoke vanished. Yellow and light blue sparkles floated down gently.

"A creepy appeal." Marian commented. "Let's see what the judges think."  
"It was rather short but dynamic." Mr. Contesta said.  
"Remarkable." Mr. Sukizo remarked.  
"Though Banette may not be seen as the cutest pokemon, you showed its aspects well." Nurse Joy said, oblivious to the glare she received from Harley for saying Banette was not cute.

"I cannot believe Nurse Joy said Banette was ugly!" Harley said as soon as he got back to the waiting room.  
"She said that Banette was not the cutest pokemon." May retaliated.  
"It was ugly in disguise! She was trying to be nice, but i saw through it!" Harley explained in a huff.

Drew ignored Harley and his annoying remarks while Solidad tried to calm down Harley. Drew did glance at Solidad a couple of times.

He would have a talk with Solidad later.

"Next, May from Petalburg City!" Marian called, as the curtain lifted up to reveal May in her genie-like outfit.

"Beautifly, take the stage!" she called out in a familiar way. Beautifly came out surrounded by streamers and confetti.

"Lets start off with a string shot!" she suggested, as Beautifly started their practised appeal. The sting shot out, taking pink streamers and confetti with it for an extra touch.  
"Psychic it into a spiral! She continued. This time, not only the string was moved by the psychic, but also the streamers and confetti, which formed another spiral around the string.  
"Silver Wind!" she said, as the Silver Wind cut through the white and pink spirals, forming a glittery tunnel as practised.  
"Quickly! Use Aerial Ace!" she commanded, as Beautifly shot through the tube, trailed by pink, silver and white sparkles, added with fresh ones from Beautifly's wings.  
"Finish it with Morning Sun and Gust!" she finished, as a sphere of gold appeared behind Beautifly, making Beautifly glow, and highlighting the sparkles, before the gold disintegrated into more sparkles with the gust, this time gold.

"Well i was blown away by that one." Marian exclaimed, before turning to the judges.

"You demonstrated a variety of Beautifly's skills. " Mr. Contesta praised.  
"That was quite remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo remarked.  
"You showed Beautifly's wings out well." Nurse Joy said.

"You did wonderfully." Solidad commented as May returned, her Beautifly perched on her head.

"Thank you." May said, as she looked around to see Harley still sulking. Drew walked straight past her into the passage behind the stage.

"And for our final appeal today, we have Drew from LaRousse City!" Marian exclaimed, to the loudest cheers that day, and the cheers seemed mainly feminine. No guesses there.

May watched the screen as the curtains from the corridor went up. On cue, the cheers grew louder.

"I love you Drew!" one fan screamed out against another and another.  
"Be my boyfriend!" another dozen fans yelled out, before staring at the other fans.

May rolled her eyes. Solidad and Harley were silent. Another girl stood by May with a glare in her direction. May glanced at the confident Brianna.

"Roserade, its your turn!" Drew exclaimed, as the bouquet pokemon was surrounded by even more flowers.  
"Use petal dance!" he said with a flick of his hair. The petals surrounded Roserade in a ring.  
"Use sunny day!" Drew exclaimed, as the light got brighter, and the petals sparkled with yellow.  
"Weather Ball!" he continued as a ball of fire was created by Roserade and shot at a petal. Because the petals were overlapping, there was a chain reaction, and soon enough Roserade was surrounded by a ring of fire.  
"Finish it with Magical Leaf!" he finished, as rings of leaves circled Roserade, catching on fire when they passed the fire ring, creating what looked like a burning atom.

"Well that is a fiery appeal!" Marian said.

"Sunny Day highlighted the petals, but paved the way for Weather Ball in a beautiful way." Mr. Contesta said.  
May agreed with Mr. Contesta. Gee Drew had done some training.  
"Most remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo remarked.  
"A work of art!" Nurse Joy said.

"That concludes the appeals for today! Please wait while the judges decide on the people who will be progressing to the battle round!"

"You were amazing Drew!" May said in awe. Drew merely flicked his hair.  
"Why of course, my standards are never less." Drew boasted confidently.  
"Mr. Drew! I bet you will get through to the second round!" Brianna said. Drew flashed a smirk that made Brianna swoon, luckily onto the comfortable seats the waiting room had.

"Sorry about the wait folks! The judges have decided on the eight people who will continue." Marian said, as eight pictures flashed across the screen in order.

Drew was obviously first, with May and Solidad close behind. Brianna opened her eyes to see her picture on the screen. She glanced at Drew's picture, though she noticed that May was there too.

The last picture appeared on the screen. It was a purple headed person with long hair.  
And did not wear a cacturne outfit. She was also clearly female in everyway.

"What? I am not on there?" Harley exclaimed in anguish.


	6. Wrath of the Rabid Fan

**A/N: Hayley, Harley's look a like will probably continue as a running gag, or if i need to name the person one of the canons is versing. She is not an OC, she is merely a joke. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or WoW: Wrath of the Lich King. I mean, their name is much better than this chapter's name. **

* * *

**Chapter 6: PKM: Wrath of the Rabid Fan**

"Now, the computer will shuffle the coordinators to determine who will face off in the first battle round." Marian announced as the pictures flipped themselves over and were arranged on the screen, before turning over once more.

While Solidad and Drew were facing completely different coordinators, May was facing against Brianna.  
She felt the glare from the aforementioned girl.

Drew's match went first, going against a Buneary with ease.  
"Buneary, Bounce then Jump Kick!" the female trainer said, attempting to stay strong against Drew. She had purple hair and was the last of the eight. Her name was Hayley. Yes, very much like Harley's name. But she had completely different pokemon. The battle had been waging for quite awhile because of Buneary's jumping skills.  
"Flygon, Dragon Breath!" Drew commanded, as the Buneary came closer to the flying Flygon. A jet of beautiful blue breath shot out and hit the rabbit directly. Hayley's points were going lower and lower. Drew had lost points whenever Buneary had dodged, but that was to be expected from such a small and agile pokemon.

"Defeat her Drew! That look a like of mine should suffer for not letting me through!" Harley whined.

"Hayley has run out of points! Drew will go on to the semi finals."  
"Good luck Solidad." May said, as Solidad left for the stage. Solidad sent out her Lapras against her opponent.

"You know, if Solidad wins this you will be going against her in the semi-finals." May pondered aloud to Drew as he walked back into the waiting room.  
"That is true. But i have the advantage as Flygon can well, fly." Drew replied confidently, flicking his hair.  
"I am sure that Solidad is also aware of that." May muttered, glancing over to Harley, who had finally recovered from his little sulk. Drew took this opportunity to steal a glance from her.  
"Time to finish this, Lapras, Sheer Cold!" Solidad commanded suddenly, snapping May and Drew out of their reveries. The attack could knock out a pokemon instantly, though it was highly inaccurate. This time however, it hit right on target, causing Solidad to win her battle.  
"Solidad will move on to the semi finals!"

"And don't forget, as a Dragon type, Flygon is weak against ice types." May added.

Brianna stood up confidently, dusting her rose-like dress, and May remembered that she and Brianna were battling each other. They both made it over to the stage.

"Roselia, show em what you got!" Brianna said, revealing her third pokemon, surrounded by a flora seal. While sending out Roselia, Brianna did a bit of a spin, showing off her rose like dress.  
"Blaziken, take the stage!" May said at the same time. Blaziken came in a whirl of flames from a fire seal.

"There is a high chance Brianna has your whole team, or evolutions of them. She already has a Masquerain and we know she had a Vibrava. And now a Roselia..." Solidad commented. "And she also used the same seal you used with Roserade."  
"May has the advantage not only in type, but also because she has versed your Roserade many times over the years though."

"Five minutes on the clock, so lets go!" Marian said.

"Roselia, Poison Sting!"  
"Counter with Ember!"  
The purple stings hit the ember, creating a thick mist that was slightly poisonous. It was grayish purple in color, covering the stage eerily.  
"That was very dangerous." Harley finally commented.  
"True, it could poison Blaziken." Solidad said.  
"Use Fire Spin!"  
"Dodge it!"  
"Sky Uppercut!"

"May used Fire Spin to path the way, and to also give her Sky Uppercut a fire element." Solidad said. And that was indeed what happened. The Fire Spin had been seen by Brianna's Roselia, dodged it by floating gracefully, but got hit by Blaziken and the Sky Uppercut, surrounded by flames from the Fire Spin. Brianna's points had gone sharply down, and the mist slowly died down in sparkles around Blaziken's attack.

"Blaziken use Ember!"  
"Dodge and use Magical Leaf!"

Now May's points had gone down though less than Brianna's, as Roselia dodged the ember with grace, before sending the unavoidable attack at Blaziken.  
May had an idea though, remembering the contest battle she had with Kelly and her Grumpig, who sent back her fire spin in the form of a dragon type pokemon.

"Blaziken, Firespin and Flamethrower at the ceiling!" she commanded, sending a Spiral of flames at the ceiling, which in turn spun downwards like a rain of fire. The Flamethrower added power to the spiral. It was unavoidable as Roselia tried to dodge. Brianna's points went down quickly. The resulting attack was beautiful as well as deadly.

"May utilises Firespin and Flamethrower in a unique way by aiming it at the highly flameproof ceiling, causing petals of fire to hit Roselia!" Marian announced.

"Roselia, Sweet Scent!" Brianna said, as a sweet scent was let out of Roselia's flowers. It was pink and it soothed the audience, meaning May's points went down. Blaziken's guard was let down, stopped the Fire Spin and Flamethrower.  
"Magical Leaf!" Brianna said again, hitting straight at Blaziken.

"Brianna uses Sweet Scent to let Blaziken's guard lower, before sending the unavoidable Magical Leaf into Blaziken!" Marian commentated.

"This is your thirty second warning!"

Brianna looked even more determined.

"Bullet Seed!"  
"Ember!"

The stage was covered in a yellow and orange mist.

"Blaze Kick!"  
"Dodge!"  
"Fire Punch!"  
Roselia had avoided the Blaze Kick by floating upwards, to face the wrath of Blaziken's fist.  
"Time is up!" Marian announced. Both coordinators looked at the screen.  
"May will progress onto the semi finals."

"Looks like you defeated me again. Drew will never respect me now." Brianna muttered as they left the stage.  
"Just keep on training Brianna!" May said happily. Brianna stared; perhaps May didn't have a crush on Drew. Brianna's goal was to defeat May so she could impress Drew. May knew that, and yet told her to keep practising.

The corridor echoed, and their conversation reached the ears of Solidad. Drew was trying to make Harley shut up about not making it. Had May really forgotten that she herself had told May that Drew had devolved feelings for her? Knowing May, she would think Drew developed feelings for her as a friend, not just a rival. At the end of their time in Kanto, and when they were in Johto, Drew and May had been nicer to the other.

"_She is so dense."_ Brianna and Solidad thought, sinisterly at the same time.

There was one more battle before the semi finals. The 'family' of coordinators did not pay that much attention, except for who won.

Soon it was time for Drew and Solidad to face off as rivals.

"Flygon, battle dance!" Drew called.  
Lapras, lets go!" the older Solidad called.

"Five minutes on the clock, so lets go!"

"Lapras, Ice Beam!" Solidad said as soon as the clock started.  
"Flygon, Fly and use Dragon Breath!"  
The Ice Beam was dodged with ease as Flygon flew upwards, and breathed out a blue gust of air at Lapras, before flying towards it.  
"Steel Wing!"  
Before Solidad could react, Flygon had attacked Lapras before moving away, as Flygon was hid by his Dragon Breath.  
"Flygon, Sunny Day!"  
The sun shone down, illuminating Drew's Flygon beautifully, through the blue dragonbreath sparkles caused by the steel wing. further lowering Solidad's points.  
"Use Ice Beam!" Solidad said quickly, hitting Flygon right on target. Flygon was in a block of ice, quickly falling to the ground.  
"Now finish this off with Sheer Cold!"  
"Not so fast, Fire Blast!"  
Because of the Sunny Day, Flygon's Fire Blast was more intense, and Flygon got out of the way before the powerful attack hit. Further more, the Fire Blast had enough power to hit Lapras, though by then it was feeble damage. You could see the sign for fire clearly though, which was quite beautiful. Drew was winning.  
"Solarbeam." Drew said casually, and because the Sunny Day, the powerful beam was shot straight at Lapras who narrowly dodged it.  
"Drew really has grown stronger." May said out loud. Harley nodded.  
"Silver Wind!" Drew said quickly, as Beautifly's favorite attack was used. Crescents of Silver Scales were shot at Lapras, intermingling with the light from the failed Solarbeam.  
"Shock Wave to defend against the Silver Wind." Solidad said, knowing that Shock Wave would not work against Flygon anyway. The Silver Wind was destroyed, turning into silver dust.  
"Look May darling, Solidad is going on the defensive." Harley pointed out the obvious. Drew was still winning, but Solidad could at any minute.  
"Blizzard!" Solidad commanded.  
"Silver Wind!" Drew retaliated as the blue and the silver crossed paths, creating a mist on the stage.  
"This really is a close fight." Marian announced. "Thirty seconds to go."

The two coordinators watched each other, not knowing what move to make...

"Time is up, and Drew will go onto the Finals!"

"Flygon return." Drew said.  
"You too Lapras, you did a good job."

"That was such a close battle. You did good hon." Harley said as Solidad came in.  
"Thanks." Solidad said, moving away to hide her blush.

"I hope i see you in the finals, May. Then i can defeat you." Drew drawled, as May went on stage.

And so May did win her semi final battle. May and Drew were standing on opposite sides of the battlefield. Flygon was flying over head, and Blaziken was standing beside May.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

May had battled a Vibrava, one of Brianna's pokemon before, when her Blaziken was a Combusken. Drew could not employ those techniques, as May had won that battle. Drew had been there to see before his own eyes.

"Flygon use Dragonbreath!" Drew started.  
"Jump!" May replied, as Blaziken jumped high in the air, higher than Flygon. There was a hole where Flygon had hit, a crater beneath Blaziken.  
"And in the very few seconds of the final round, May demonstrates Blaziken's ability to jump even over a skyscraper!"  
Drew cursed silently in his brain, as May dented his points, before dishing out another attack.  
"Aerial Ace!"  
The attack struck swiftly, before May had a way to counter it. Blaziken was falling to the ground slowly.  
"Use Blaze Kick to get back up again!"  
One of Blaziken's feet lit up with fire, and kicked at the ground to get high in the sky again in a flurry of flames. Drew lost some points, and May was in the lead.  
"Follow with Sky Uppercut!"  
Blaziken's hand also glowed as it zoomed up to Flygon.  
"Dodge." Drew said at the last minute, and Blaziken missed.  
"Iron Tail." Drew continued, as Flygon spun around dealing a spinning Iron Tail, sending Blaziken spinning.  
"Sand Tomb." Drew said. He knew there was a high chance of it not working, like the other time, but it seemed like a time to do so. Sand trapped the whole of Blaziken this time, the spin only adding to the speed of the sand itself.  
"Mega Kick!" May said, as Drew had expected. However, Flygon's sand tomb was much stronger than Brianna's Vibrava. Drew was now winning after his dodge, iron tail, and now because of May's non existent Mega Kick.  
"Sky Uppercut!" This did the trick, freeing Blaziken, surrounded by sand.  
"Aerial Ace." He retaliated quickly. Flygon was known as the Desert Spirit, a little sand did Flygon no harm. In fact the sand surrounded the Aerial Ace beautifully, and hit Blaziken. Drew was now winning by quite a bit. May tried not to panic.  
"Blaze Kick!"  
"Grab it!"  
Blaziken's Blaze Kick had failed, after being held by Flygon.  
"Thirty seconds remaining!"

Even Drew was a bit flustered as the seconds ticked down.

"Fire Punch!" May said quickly, punching away Flygon.  
"Silver Wind on the ground!" Drew came back, like a game of Table Tennis.

"Time is up! And Drew has won the Jubilife Contest!"

May looked at the screen in amazement. Drew could only have a smug smirk on his face.

"You did wonderfully May, I'm sure there are other times." Brendan promised as she met her childhood friends outside. Harley had already gone back to the Pokemon Center, as he did not have to change, Drew and Solidad were still in the Waiting Room.  
"Yeah." May said with an unsure smile, the wind whipping around the city at that time of evening. She looked so adorable to Brendan.  
"Here, take my jacket." Brendan offered.  
"No, its okay." May said modestly.  
"So, shall we head back now?" Wally asked, head directed to the pokemon center, his hair slightly ruffled, and his thin white top gave off the essence of cold. However, being sick for quite some time had made Wally comfortable in mildly cold weather.

"Yeah sure." May said with a smile, as the Hoenn Trio left the Hall.

* * *

"You know, for someone that defeated me just so you could verse May-" Solidad began after she had changed back into her more thicker attire. Drew blushed ever so slightly, twirling the rose from his outfit in his hand. He had changed back already, but May was quick, gone before he could rejoin them in the waiting room. In his other hand was his ribbon case, now with one ribbon in it. Four more and he had the opportunity to enter the Grand Festival.

"What about you and Harley." He questioned without thinking. Solidad was the one with the blush now.

"He is gay, Drew. I have no chance." She said, knowing this was coming sooner or later. After traveling with Harley for so long, she couldn't help it but develop feelings for the weird cacturne obsessed purple head. They were also childhood friends.

"At least you have a chance with May-"

"Hah, as if, I always let my mouth run the show. She knows that I'm just a cocky bastard." Drew said harshly. Solidad could see his fists clenched up more, softly strangling the flower.  
"I was thinking about giving the rose to her. But she left so quickly; no doubt to rejoin that _Brendan_."  
"Look who is jealous." Solidad muttered as she stood up. "C'mon, we can't keep Harley waiting."  
Drew nodded, though he still felt a little angst.  
"There will be other times." Drew said a tad bit more softly as he brought his nose to the rose, calming his senses with the aromatherapy Roserade had put in there for him.


	7. Rocky Roads

**A/N:**

**KJ: I've always wondered how May can get into the second round of her contests using a mere Silver Wind, or Drew, his Petal Dance. I guess it is because they had only started doing contests. But hey, have Anime Sinnoh's Contests ever been named Super Contests?**

**Anyway, you can call this chapter filler. Then why bother having it? **

**1. You cannot go from one big thing to another everytime.**

**2. May is traveling with Brendan and Wally, both whom are trainers.**

**Yes, it is the Oreburgh City Gym Battles, if you couldn't tell by the title of this chapter. Nothing relatively important happens, besides from badges of course. **

**I have noticed in contests and generally battles, my literacy and use of full sentences tends to fall down. So I am back on track! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. If i did Dawn would probably not exist. Why? Isnt it better to just have one coordinator? I mean, when Gen V comes out and Ash goes to another region, we can only hope they dont make yet another character. Thats just repetitive.**

**

* * *

**_Thump thump thump…_

Chapter 7: Rocky Roads

It was either Harley or Drew. She knew no one else in the pokemon center that would run towards her. Actually it was probably Drew; Harley had a distinct and girly way of running, a hint of skipping mixed in. She turned towards them. Yes it was Drew. His hair was in messy curls, while his black top was clearly hastily put on. Even then, Drew was busy creasing his purple vest in place with one hand. The other hand bore a fresh red rose.  
"She left." Solidad explained in a sugary sweet tone. Drew's cranky morning emerald eyes glared at her; she was one of the few people that ever saw Drew in such a mood, after all he always seemed calm and collected. He was only human though, and humans experience all kinds of moods; even if the person in question tended to mask them.  
"Brendan and Wally need to get their first badges in Oreburgh City." Solidad explained, leaning back into the comfy couch she was relaxing on. Drew sat down beside her with a sigh; he did need a bit of peace.  
"Did she tell you their names?" Drew questioned, gradually becoming calmer.  
"She introduced them to me. Brendan was rather surprised that I can live traveling with you." Solidad replied with a chuckle. "I did not bother to tell May or her friends you actually travel with us half the time."  
"What, so I can stalk her?" Drew retorted, crossing his arms.  
"Not that I would suggest it." Solidad replied with a grin. "So, you were planning on giving her a rose? I doubt she can believe they are for her beautifly after all this time."

"I gave her a rose two days ago, but she stuffed it in her bag with all her contests stuff." Drew replied in a slight annoyed tone from the previous comments. "Carefully though." He added in triumph.

May's fanny pack slightly moved from side to side as she walked. She had sectioned her bag for everything though. While her pokeballs were on her belt, she put her Ball Capsules inside the bag on one side, along with several other packages. Her envelope of seals divided her bag in half. On the other side was a rose, and it was intact.

Friendly chatter could be heard on Route 203, a relatively small and short route between Jubilife City and Oreburgh City. The route was a rather hilly one, and yet so natural, even if it was next door to Jubiife City, the largest City in voices belonged to May and Brendan. They had invited Wally into their talk too, but he preferred to watch out for green pokemon. However his search was unsuccessful. May and Brendan were discussing the finer points of Brendan's strategy for his upcoming gym battle.

"What are you using for the Gym Battle Wally?" May asked, turning her head to the slowly moving Wally. He was careful not to step on anything green, this time it happened that he stepped into a pond instead. A Magikarp, dubbed as the weakest pokemon ever (even if by stats Sunkern was) splashed hopelessly near his foot. Luckily for Wally there was no Gyarados in the pond.

"I am going to use Sceptile, Roselia and Turtwig. Or maybe Flygon and Gardevoir with Sceptile…"

Wally said in a dreamy tone.

His companions blinked.

"You know, the second gym is a grass type gym…"  
"What?!" Wally exclaimed, snapping out of his little daydream to glare at Brendan with his pale blue eyes.

"You know, out of your five pokemon, two of them are pure grass, one is half grass and the other two are not grass…" Brendan muttered recklessly.

"But this gym is not green! It is brown and grey!" Wally snapped. "Grass is super effective against rock!"

"How did he win against fire gyms? Like Flannery?" May enquired her white haired friend.

"Gardevoir and Flygon fought his battles." Brendan said. "Gardevoir used psychic usually, and Flygon flew around dodging stuff."

"Really? They were that powerful back then?"

"I don't know, blame plot devices."

"Anyway, Rampardos is fast and powerful therefore dodging is the best method."

"Yep, and Head Smash, will inflict damage on Rampardos too, it is best to use the rocks on the field."

"Of course, Wally can use Sceptile for Rampardos." May said, looking back at the frustrated Wally.

"Too true."

May looked at the rocky mountainous terrain up ahead, signaling the change between urban, nature and rocky urban. Oreburgh was surrounded like rocky walls, climbing high towards the sky.

Though it paled against the ominous mountain next door, Mt. Coronet, tallest mountain in the whole of the world, and where life first sprouted. They would have to traverse into Mt. Coronet's caves to get to Heathrome City.

"We have arrived at Oreburgh Gate." Brendan said, as they found the tunnel. Pebbles crunched under their feet, while Wally wailed that there was no green anywhere in the tunnel, besides his hair and his companion's clothes of course.

"So, the next contest you are going to is the Floaroma one right May?" Brendan asked casually, brushing off some rock uselessly, as another bit crumbled onto his no longer snowy white hat.

"Yep. Then when we get to Eterna City we can go to the Contest there." May recited. "However, we would be best to go to Eterna City first, as the Floaroma Contest isn't due for a few days. The Eterna one is a little while later. We can go explore the greenness of Eterna Forest!"

Wally's eyes lit up, ignoring the rockiness around them, before noticing a pathway.

"Hey guys, there is a staircase this way. Maybe there are green pokemon down there." Wally asked excitedly. May and Brendan decided that they did not want to face Wally's Green Rage, so they followed him. The said out of place staircase was blocked by a plot device. I mean, boulder. However, this plot device was not going to work against the Trio, as they had already obtained the required plot device that would let them go past said plot device.

"Green Sceptile, come on out!" he said, as his Sceptile appeared beside him.

"Rock Smash on this brown rock!" Wally said, as Sceptile destroyed it.

"Thank you, Green Sceptile. Return." Wally said. His Sceptile's name was not Green, but he said it in front of all his pokemon when he sent them out.

It was a cavern, with stalagmites and stalactites everywhere like spears. Rocks were dotted around in the labyrinth of stone, typical of Oreburgh. Perhaps it was an abandoned mine? Some pokemon flitted around occasionally.

Brendan's arm scraped on a pointy rock, thankfully, it did little to him. Wally jumped ahead, sending out Sceptile to smash some random rock now and again. May looked at Brendan. The two of them were still at the entrance of the cavern. Brendan had also sent out Swampert to aid them. He noticed that Swampert sensed water nearby.

"That is where green plants are likely to grow right?" Brendan asked hopefully. He was itching for a battle against Roark.

"Yeah." May replied absentmindedly, as Brendan ordered a smash and yet another and another. Finally they found the pool of water. It shone with beauty, though it reflected the brownness of the rocks above. Wally was already there, frowning at the non existent greenness.

"Surf, Swampert." Brendan commanded, as he and May climbed into Swampert. They were looking for any green pokemon in the water.

"Dive." Brendan said, and Swampert dived beneath the water, revealing a watery wonderland; the water was deeper than they thought.

Pity there was no green pokemon.

"Surface." He attempted to order, luckily Swampert surfaced before Brendan even nearly drowned.

"Brendan, you need to make up a signal for surfacing when you are underwater." May scolded.

"Yeah I guess." Brendan replied. Wally was looking at them hopefully.

"Nope, sorry Wally." May said with a frown. Wally looked sad.

"We best be going then." He said sadly, as they navigated out the wrecked maze.

"I hope we didn't do too much damage…" Brendan muttered.

"I think I had had enough of Oreburgh already…" Brendan murmured, as they entered the Oreburgh Mine. Roark was here apparently, being the head of the Mining industry in Oreburgh.

"No green in sight." Wally gasped. Even his hair was browner with rock dust after going through all that rock back at the Gate. It was already the late afternoon after their little exploration in the cavern.

"After this Eterna City will be bright." May muttered, dusting off some, well dust from her green clothes. She hoped there was enough green on them to keep Wally alive.

"Now where would he be…" Brendan pondered out loud, as they walked around the mine, dodging various miners with their machops.

"Well there is an underwater section…" May said.

"What? Underwater? How do they work?"

"No, they dug a section of the mine in the earth under the water." May explained, as they approached said area. There was a rather large rocky pillar in the centre, probably helping the water stay where it was supposed to be.

"He isn't here." Wally muttered, "Nor is green. I need green!"  
"Actually he is over here." May said, glancing to the other side of the pillar.

"Are you Roark?" Brendan asked the out of place miner. The redhead turned with a smile. He wore glasses as well as a hard helmet, but the helmet was to be expected.

"Yes, are you challengers."

"In the name of green I challenge you to a gym battle!" Wally said before Brendan did. May, Brendan and even Roark sweatdropped.

"Very well then, as Gym Leader of Oreburgh, I accept your challenge." Roark said, as he prepared to get out of the mine. The others hastily followed him, not wishing to stay in the mine for much longer.

"This battle is between Roark, the Gym Leader, and Wally, the Challenger. This is a three on three battle; furthermore, only the challenger can substitute pokemon. There is no time limit involved."

"Geodude!" Roark said.

"My dear green Gardevoir!" Wally said.

"You know, only Gardevoir isn't in the green group. It is classified as white." May said.

"Let's just let him have his fun." Brendan replied, watching the battle and calculating and altering his strategy.

"So are you ready, Wally?" Wally nodded, as he sent out the first attack.

"Green Gardevoir, Magical Leaf!"

Glowing leaves appeared around Gardevoir and attacked Geodude in a flurry of blows. No matter where Geodude moved, they hit him.

"That's a good attack to use against the highly movable Geodude." Brendan commented.

"It is also a green grass-type move, so maybe that's the only reason he used it." May pointed out.

"You know, I wish we came to Sinnoh earlier, as Gallade is greener. You should have asked Ash to get a Dawn Stone."

"Geodude, Rock Throw!" Roark commanded, after the barrage of leaves stopped.

"Teleport!" Wally said, as the rock landed where Gardevoir was.

"Magical Leaf once more, dear Gardevoir!"

Gardevoir appeared above Geodude, as she created more magical leaves to attack the rock headed pokemon.

"End this battle with Energy Ball, oh Green Gardevoir!" Wally finished, as Gardevoir created a sphere of green. Upon collision, Geodude landed on the ground with green sparks flying everything.

"Geodude is unable to battle, Gardevoir is the winner."

"Geodude was only a test of what I am capable of. Onix, go!" Roark said, as the massive pokemon loomed over head.

"Green Gardevoir, enjoy a good rest, return." Wally said. "Green Flygon go!"

Wally's Flygon looped the loop. Brendan remembered seeing Drew, the other green headed trainer have a Flygon and a Roserade. Wally had a Flygon and a Roselia.

"Green Flygon, use Dragonbreath!" Wally exclaimed as a blue jet of air streamed from Flygon's jaws.

"Onix, Screech." Roark commanded as the soundwaves from the screech made the air based Dragon Breath double up and not hit Onix.

"That is some technique." Brendan noted, realizing that he could not rely on water attacks.

"And Onix seems tough enough to not be affected by any attack Flygon can dish out." May said.

"Great Green Flygon! Fly around Onix!"

The sound of Flygon's wings vibrated around the whole Gym.

"Let out a screech of your own!"

Everyone covered their ears and wondered what Wally was planning.

"Flygon return." He said suddenly.

"Great Green Sceptile, your turn!" He said, with the other pokeball in his hand. Onix was a bit dazed for the attack, despite Screech not being a confusing attack.

"Leaf Storm and Leaf Blade go!"

A storm of leaves was created, cutting and slicing Onix, before Sceptile was seen through the storm, aiming with a Leaf Blade. It hit straight on, and Onix crashed to the ground.  
"Onix quick, Dig!"  
The Onix submerged into the ground.

"Thank you Sceptile, Return. Now come back Green Flygon, Earthquake!"

Flygon flew down as the ground began to shake. As Onix was underground, the earthquake shook for extra damage. Soon Onix could be seen, with swirls for eyes.

"Onix is unable to battle, Flygon is the winner."

"Wow, I'm impressed by your strategy." Roark said. "But you are not getting past my pride and joy, Rampardos!"

"Flygon, you need another rest, Gardevoir, it is your turn once more!"

"I never thought that Wally was so good!" May exclaimed. Brendan agreed.

"He is using the attacks of his pokemon together, like he is attacking with one."

"That is one good strategy." May said in awe. "You should try that for a gym or two."

"Gardevoir, Magical Leaf!"  
"Rampardos, don't let that bring you down, Zen Headbutt!"

Rampardos continued through the barrage, hitting Gardevoir straight on.

"That Rampardos is something else!" Brendan said in an amazed tone.

"Payback!" he exclaimed, as Rampardos attacked Gardevoir, who fainted.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle, Rampardos wins!"

"How did Rampardos manage to defeat Gardevoir that easily?" May asked.

"Psychic pokemon have low defenses, and thus a dark-type attack like payback can easily defeat one. Especially when payback deals twice the amount of damage." Brendan replied.

"Return dear Gardevoir, come out great Flygon!" Wally exclaimed. As the dragonic pokemon circled over head.

"Since Flygon can fly, Rampardos is going to have a tough time defeating it." Brendan pointed out.

"Great Flygon, Dragonbreath!"

"Dodge it." Roark said, as Rampardos dodged the small crater created by the mystical beam of blue.

"Rampardos can simply dodge Flygon's attacks though." May insisted.

"Earthquake!" Wally exclaimed, as Flygon landed, and made the earth shake, catching Rampardos off guard.

"Hyper Beam!" he continued.

"That's risky." Brendan commented.

Because of the Earthquake, Rampardos was not ready for it, and it hit right on target.

"Blizzard!" Roark commanded. Wally looked surprised as Rampardos stood right up and fine.

Flygon could not dodge the super effective move because of the after effects of Hyper Beam. Flygon fell to the ground.

"Focus Punch!" Roark ordered, as Flygon was punched, falling to a nearby wall.

"Flygon is unable to battle, Rampardos wins!"

"Wow, Rampardos is tough. I mean he survived the Hyper Beam." May said.

"Rampardos is resistant against normal attacks." Brendan explained. "And in terms of attack power, Rampardos boasts to be one of the toughest."

"Return lovely Flygon. It is all down to you, Green Sceptile." Wally muttered.

"Rampardos, Zen Headbutt!"

"Sceptile, Agility then Leaf Blade!"  
Rampardos' attack was dodged, before a Leaf Blade connected, knocking back Rampardos.

"Iron Tail then Focus Punch!"

Sceptile was knocked away.

"Quick, Agility!" Wally commanded, as Sceptile got away before the Focus Punch connected.

"Rampardos cannot be too strong now, Roark often uses Head Smash, but since that does recoil damage, he wouldn't use it with little health." Brendan realised.

"Earthquake and Leaf Storm!"

"The ground shook as a storm of leaves slashed at Rampardos violently.

"Lets make it count! Leaf Blade!"  
Sceptile vanished into the storm, connecting Rampardos straight on with his blade.

"Rampardos is unable to battle, which means the challenger Wally wins the battle."

"Congratulations Wally, here is the Coal Badge." Roark said, as he came over. "And Brendan, Its getting dark. Not only that, before I went to the Mines, I had some pretty tough battles. My pokemon need a good rest. Mind you fight me tomorrow?"

"Very well Roark." Brendan said with a smile.

"But remember, I won't be going easy on you!"

"We better head to the pokemon center." Wally said, and May and Brendan heard him mutter. "I really need a shower."

* * *

"So, you said you were not going easy on you, so what's with the Geodude?" Brendan questioned, as his Swampert stood at the ready beside him. Brendan had a good sleep, and now he was ready to battle Roark.

"I still need the same amount of power as I did with Wally." Roark said.

"The battle between Geodude and Swampert will now commence!"

"Muddy Water!" Brendan said automatically, as water surrounded Swampert, similar to a Water Pulse, but brown in color.

"Hammer Arm!"

While Geodude got hit by the cloudy water, an arm came out of nowhere and hit Geodude straight on.

"Now, Focus Punch!"

Geodude was slammed into the ground, creating a crater.

"Geodude is unable to battle to battle! Swampert wins!"  
"Brendan's pokemon are really powerful, each one of them is a powerhouse. I bet even Chimchar will be once he trains it." May commented.

"He is a constant reminder that I need to grow stronger." Wally admitted.

"If Swampert takes on Gardenia on his own then I will be impressed." May said. "After all, Swampert's only yet fatal weakness is grass."

Their heads snapped back to Brendan, a cocky look on his face.

"He could lose now, as he is deluded that he is unstoppable." May pointed out.

"Swampert, Hammer Arm."

Swampert came close for the kill then…

"Onix, Iron Tail!"  
Swampert was knocked away with a sweep of Onix's tail, before he could connect the blow of the hammer arm.

"Onix, Rock Throw!"

"Protect!"  
A rock hit a shield around Swampert, who was standing proud. Being Brendan's first pokemon, no Iron Tail would defeat him.

"Surf then Hammer Arm!"

Swampert came crashing towards Onix on a wave, before aiming for a Hammer Arm…

"Rock Polish and Double Team."

Several polished Onixes appeared around the arena.

"Water Pulse Swampert!" he said hastily, but the Onixes were simply too fast, now they were polished.

"Earthquake!" he continued, as the clones vanished.

"Double-Edge!" Roark called, and Onix, speedily headed towards Swampert, attacking straight on, a white glow covering it. Because of its ability Rock Head the recoil did nothing.

"Ice Punch!" Brendan retaliated, as Swampert knocked Onix away.

"Now finish off with Hammer Arm!"

"Onix is unable to battle, Swampert wins!"

"Despite giving it my all with Onix, you still managed to defeat me. Looks like type advantage won out that time eh? But not now! Rampardos it all comes down to you!"

"The battle between Rampardos and Swampert will now commence!"

"Swampert, Hammer Arm!"

"Rampardos, Head Smash!"

Swampert got slammed back with the glowing Rampardos before he could attack. Rampardos did not even care about the recoil now.

"Rampardos, Focus Punch!"

Swampert got attacked yet again by a powerful attack.

"Iron Tail!"

This became the last straw for Swampert, and fainted after attack after attack. Roark was older than them after all, equaling to more years of experience. Not only that, Swampert had been heavily damaged by the Double-Edge from before.

"Swampert is unable to battle, Rampardos wins!"

"Swampert, you were awesome. Return." Brendan said. "Shiftry, show 'em justice."  
"Leaf Storm!" Brendan said, as leaves surrounded Shiftry before shooting out to attack Rampardos in swift succession. As the attack was much stronger than Gardevoir's earlier Magical Leaf, it was visibly evident that Rampardos lost health.

"Head Smash!" Roark called, as Rampardos rampaged through the leaves, glowing in blue light.

"Dodge!" Brendan said, and just like the plan went, Rampardos hit a rock, dealing damage to himself. The rock crumbled with the power though, dust gathering where it once stood.

"Nature Power!" Brendan called, as Shiftry created rocks over head, sending them down in a rock slide. Not the best attack but it blocked Rampardos' vision.

"Razor Wind!"

A white blade of wind crashed down on the rock covered Rampardos. Shiftry had not been hit by an attack yet.

"Iron Tail!"

I think I said that too early.

Anyway, the glowing tail hit Shiftry hard, smashing him into a nearby rock.

"Fire Blast!"

Now Rampardos was coming back with power.

"Iron Tail once more!"  
Still recovering from the Fire Blast, Shiftry was caught unawares, and was thrown against the wall by Rampardo's glowing tail.

"Shiftry is unable to battle, Rampardos wins!"  
"Good job Shiftry, I bet another hit or two and it will be the end of Rampardos." Brendan assured. "Aggron, deal the final blow!"

"Iron Head!" Brendan commanded, as Aggron's horn was surrounded by a light.

"The same attack, father uses." Roark commented, as Aggron slammed into Rampardos quickly before he could retaliate.  
"Rampardos is unable to battle, Aggron wins, which means the challenger, Brendan wins the match!"

"You know you should have used Aggron before Shiftry, as Aggron is the stronger one." May commented. "We got our strategy wrong."

"I still won May." He said with a cocky grin as he returned Aggron. "I still won."

"I present to you the Coal Badge." Roark said, as Brendan took it.

"I got my very first Sinnoh Badge!" Brendan exclaimed happily.

"What should we do now?" May questioned. Wally wanted to head over to Eterna City, but Brendan had protested that it would be dark once they got there. In the end they begrudgingly agreed to go to the museum.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, i bothered to do an Authors Note at the bottom. The battles might have been boring this time round, but next time at the Eterna Gym, it will not be mere black and white.**


	8. Wally's Wonderland

**A/N:**

**KJ: How many generations of pokemon will there be I wonder…**

**Well I do like Dawn's Theme Song: By Your Side. I also like May's Theme, but of course! **

**Anyway, this is Wally's Wonderland, Enjoy!**

**NOTE: I might not post a chapter tomorrow, as i will not be home. But i will try to post one the day after.  
****Be aware that such a mere thing could ultimately ruin my consistant posting of chapters as i am only 2-3 chapters ahead, when i am usually 4-5.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, I would have never let 4kids replace Onigiri (Riceballs) with gigantic sandwiches and call them ridiculous names that they clearly do not resemble. **

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**Chapter 8: Wally's Wonderland**

"We are going to Eterna City!" Wally announced in a singsong voice as they left Oreburgh City the next morning. No one wanted to stay there for much longer anyway. Wally had spent quite some time washing his hair free of any specs of rocky dust both of their nights there. That meant that by the time they left, it was already late in the afternoon.

"For my second badge too!" Brendan said, beaming as he flipped open his Sinnoh badge case to reveal his lone Coal Badge. "I cannot wait until I complete this little collection!"

"Eterna City has a forest!" Wally said happily. His Turtwig who was beside him once more looked amused. Brendan's Chimchar and May's Piplup stared at him like he was the weirdest person in the world. Chimchar and Piplup were watching Harley's appeal. It did not show much of his weirdness though. And who knows, there could be a weirder person…

"Well, we are back in Jubilife now." May said as they reproached the large city. They passed by all the large buildings, glancing at the Center. If they procrastinated further, they might not be there until night fall. May decided that she was exaggerating. They would arrive in the afternoon, late afternoon but still afternoon.

"I cannot believe they built the Cycling Road between Eterna and Oreburgh," Brendan grumbled, "Bicycles should be sold in Oreburgh instead of Eterna, it's the best they can do."

Route 204 was a slope, though it was not as hilly as Route 203. The foot of the hill was flooded with ponds, and rocks jutted from the center of the hill, marked by another hole. Luckily another hole up north could be seen. It was surrounded by forest of course. Patches of tall grasses were avoided, even if they were inevitable. At least their starters needed practice.

"We are going via Floaroma Town, it is full of flowers!" Wally sang, spinning around once.

"Chimchar, use Flamewheel then Scratch once more!" Brendan ordered, as Chimchar created a wheel of flame around himself, closing in, before Scratching at the nearest Starly with fiery claws.

"Piplup, Bubblebeam then Bide!" May commanded, as Piplup shot a beam of bubbles into the air, before they fell down again because of gravity. Because Piplup used bide, they surrounded Piplup and got absorbed, before there was a blue flash and all of the remaining bubbles were illuminated.

"It is hard making an appeal with only three moves, Brendan, what other pokemon could I use?"

"Well I am no expert with appeals, but Venusaur has a lot of good moves."

"I wish Venusaur was still a Bulbasaur, she was faster. But appearances mean nothing right? Shes still the same pokemon!"

"You never walk over the same waters twice." Brendan muttered, as Chimchar used Flamewheel and Ember at the same time. Brendan dodged a loose ember or two.

"Wally, what are you going to do when you verse Gardenia?" May asked, turning to the happy grass head with a giggle as a section of Brendan's hair went on fire. "Piplup BubbleBeam!"

Piplup did as told, extinguishing Chimchar's ember.

"I don't know." Wally said, suddenly stopping his dance with an unhappy look on his face. "I don't really want to hurt the poor grass types."

They entered the small cave, to the annoyance of the Trio, though May was still cheerful and optimistic.

"Look, the exit is just over here!" she exclaimed. It was of course, blocked by a rock. How is it still blocked by a rock after so many trainers have gone past?

"Swampert, Rock Smash!" Brendan said, sending out Swampert just to smash the rock. "Thanks Swampert, return!"

The earthly smells of the damp cave were replaced by a thousand scents from a thousand flowers. They saw a quaint little down, crowned by thousands of flowers between their houses.

"Floaroma Town, where I will get my first ribbon in Sinnoh no doubt!" May exclaimed as she bent down to sniff a flower. Nearby stood a rose bearing guy, standing the shade of a house. He could see and hear the trio, but the trio never saw him. His hair was green.

"Not now May, we are getting our Badges and Bikes too! Then our journey will be going a lot faster!"

He watched remorsefully as the trio left his sight.

"You will be back May, you will be back." Drew muttered, sniffing the rose in his hand.

"There has to be green pokemon in here right?"

Thousands of trees stood before them, and it was not like the mere bordering trees they planted to mark a route. It was Eterna Forest.

"Probably." Brendan said, looking in awe at the great trees that loomed ever so higher over him. The signature smell of trees and fresh air graced their noses, a clear contrast to the musky air of Floaroma Town. It was refreshing from the urban smells too. It was a smell that was not extraordinary, but a smell that made you realize how different even urban areas smelled. This was the smell of nature.

Wally beamed at the trees.

"Can I explore Eterna Forest for today?" Wally asked excitedly. Brendan looked towards their female companion.  
"When is your contest, May?" he asked.  
"Three days after this." May replied. "Then the Eterna Contest is in a week, so we could be dragged behind."  
"No sweat, we can ride our Bicycles back here after we go to Heathrome." Brendan said.  
"Are you even sure that you will defeat Gardenia? Two of your pokemon have weaknesses to grass, and only one has an advantage over it. Plus, one is a grass type."

"We will see about it! Anyway, Wally can explore Eterna Forest today, and we will have our Gym Battles tomorrow. We will head back to Floaroma Town after that. We can explore the Town once we get there. The next day is the contest." Brendan said.

"You know Brendan, you are getting more organized." Wally said, though he sported a grin on his face from the prospect of seeing many green pokemon.

The other two were gone, leaving Wally alone in the Forest. He looked up, white specs of sunlight reflected against the greenery below, downwards until it reached the forest floor. He sniffed in the clear cutting smell of trees once more. He reckoned if his parents sent him to Sinnoh to his forest, his illness could probably be cured instantly. Any carbon dioxide in the air would be traded for good oxygen instantly.

Wally noticed a cottage up ahead, a contrasting the green wonderland around them. It seemed inviting though, as Wally had been looking through a forked tree, and the leaves that scattered about the branches, leaving a hole in the foliage.

He crept forward, wondering if he was trespassing. He stopped, noticing a woman nearby.

"I am sorry for trespassing." Wally started, but the woman smiled.

Wally noticed her green attire; everything was green. Even her hair was bright green, putting Wally and Drew's hair to shame. Her emerald hair was long, platted down the end, and slung over one shoulder.

"It is okay." She said with a smile. "This is Eterna Forest after all. Once I did not live here, when Team Galactic prowled the area. Now I have settled down here."

"I love green." Wally said happily. "And this place is full of it. Are green pokemon found here?"

She smiled.

"Only Budew, however, I know a trick to get more pokemon." The green woman said. Wally's eyes lit up once more.

"And where are my manners, my name is Cheryl." She said. "So, shall I show you how the trick works?"

"Nice to meet you Cheryl, my name is Wally." He replied. "Yes of course please!"

"Wait out here." Cheryl said, as she ducked back into her quaint little house, before coming out with a brush and a pot of honey. "A lot of pokemon are attracted to honey." She explained, "However, on only certain trees will it be effective."

She moved away, further into the forest, gesturing at Wally for him to follow, which he did eagerly.

Before they could move further however, a bug catcher and lass appeared from behind a tree.

"We challenge you to a battle!" they exclaimed, standing in their battle poses.

Cheryl glanced over to Wally with a questioning look.

"Very well, I need practice anyway." Wally said, clutching a pokeball.

"Okay then, Chansey, lets go!"  
"Green Turtwig, your turn!"

Wally looked over to Cheryl's pokemon, a Chansey, a pink one for that matter.

"I expected you to have a green pokemon." He said. Cheryl shrugged.

"You will see." She exclaimed, as their enemies sent out a Beautifly and Pachirisu.

"Chansey, Egg Bomb on that Beautifly!" she said, as a ball of white appeared in Chansey's hand, which he threw.  
"Dodge!" the Bug catcher exclaimed, but the egg connected with a wing as the Beautifly attempted to dodge, sending the Beautifly down.  
"Turtwig! Razor Leaf on that Beautifly!" Wally exclaimed, as leaves shot out of Turtwig's mouth, hitting the Beautifly straight on.  
"Pachirisu, Super Fang on the Turtwig!" the lass cried at last, as her Pachirisu shot towards Turtwig, her fangs enlarged.  
"Chansey, Egg Bomb!" Cheryl commanded, as the Pachirisu was stopped with a flash of light and a muffled boom.  
"Turtwig, Razor Leaf on the Pachirisu now!"  
"Beautifly, Gust!"  
The leaves from Turtwig's Razor Leaf were blown back towards him, and Turtwig got hit.  
"Turtwig, Absorb from Pachirisu!"  
A light shone from Turtwig, and hit Pachirisu, absorbing some health, while hurt Pachirisu.  
Now finish off with Razor Leaf!"  
"Beautifly, use stringshot to send back to the Razor Leaf!"  
The leaves got hit the sting, tumbling to the ground, lost in the leaf litter.  
"Egg Bomb!" Cheryl said, as the attack hit Pachirisu, who fainted.  
"Nooo!" The lass cried.  
"Don't worry sis." The bug catcher assured.  
"Turtwig Razor Leaf!"  
"Chansey, Egg Bomb!"  
The two attacks connected Beautifly at the same time, exploding.  
"Sorry sis, I couldn't do it." The bug catcher said, returning his beautifly.  
"Its okay." She said, as the two left.

A twig snapped beneath a green shoe. The owner of said shoe did not hear, as he reached Cheryl, who was waiting beside a yellow tree.

"Here is a honey tree." Cheryl said, pointing to the yellower tree. It stood out clearly from all the other lust green trees. It was almost a mystical effect. She handed the honey and brush to Wally.

"You brush it on the trunk, and we will watch what pokemon come okay?"

Wally did what he was told, brushing over a patch on the tree. Then the two hid in the bushes. Both were well camouflaged because of their hair.

Soon after, a burmy appeared; it was cloaked in leaves; green leaves for that matter. It started licking the honey.

"Turtwig, Razor Leaf!" Wally said, and to his amazement, the leaves were deflected by a Protect. The Burmy looked around at the Turtwig and prepared to tackle him.

"Turtwig, Razor Leaf again!"

This time, Burmy was much closer, and could not avoid the Razor Leaf.

"Pokeball go!" Wally yelled, as he threw a pokeball at Burmy. It hit him, enveloping him in light. Wally, Cheryl and Turtwig watched as the ball twitched. Finally there was the sound of a pokemon being captured.  
"Yes, I got myself, a Green Burmy!" Wally cried.

"A burmy is not always green. When it is near or in buildings, it turns pink, and in deserts it becomes sandy yellow." Cheryl warned.

"Why?" Wally asked sadly. Cheryl sent out four pokemon, three Wormadams and a Mothim.

"When a female Burmy evolves, it takes with it the cloak it has permanently. The green one is a Plant Cloak Wormadam, the pink is a Trash Cloak, and the yellow is a Sandy Coat. The Mothim is what a male Wormadam evolves into.

Wally scanned the pokeball for its information. He brightened up.

"Its female!" he exclaimed.  
"What moves does it know?" Cheryl asked. Wally showed her the screen.

"Four moves, that means it must be near evolving, as those are the only moves Burmy teaches itself in the wild." She decided. "Maybe I should have a battle with you to evolve Burmy."

"You will Cheryl? Thank you!" Wally cried, as he sent Burmy out again.

"Burmy, welcome to the team. I will introduce the rest of my team later but this is Turtwig!"

The two pokemon greeted each other. Cheryl stood up out of the foliage after returning her pokemon.

"So, shall we?"

"Dodge that Psybeam and use Hidden Power!" Wally cried, as a multicolored beam cloaked in pink was sent his Burmy's way. Burmy dodged it, and started to glow. White spheres surrounded Burmy and were fired at Cheryl's Mothim. It was a direct hit.

"Now, Tackle!" Wally said. Burmy jumped towards Mothim, who had not recovered from the Hidden Power. Mothim fainted.

"You know Wally, it is getting late, the Noctowl and Hoothoot are beginning to wake." Cheryl said looking around, at the darkened leaves and the withdrawing pokemon, after their battle, she turned to face Wally. She watched as his Burmy glowed brightly, clearly illuminated against the shadowy evening, morphing in shape. The light stopped, as a Wormadam appeared before them.

"My Burmy evolved into Wormadam, a green one too!" Wally exclaimed.

"Well you can exit Eterna Forest with a new evolved pokemon." Cheryl said with a smile, as they reached the route.

"Bye Cheryl!" Wally said with a wave.

"Bye Wally, come back any time!"

Wally grinned before turning towards Eterna City.

"Wally, you returned!" May exclaimed, waving to him as he appeared on the horizon. Her brunette hair was tucked under a blue helmet, and she was half perched on a matching blue bicycle. Brendan was next to her, with a matching set of red. Just like the time when they bought the poketchs, the third bicycle, in green was there too, helmet hanging on one of the handles.

"Guess what guys? I captured a Burmy and it evolved!" Wally exclaimed.

"We were on Cycling Road getting used to the new gears." May explained. "We saw many trainers challenge us to battles while still riding, so that they were far away when their pokemon were sent out." She giggled.

"But then we found a cave, and a girl named Mira joined us with her Kadabra." Brendan continued.

"Well I was joined by a green haired woman named Cheryl!" Wally exclaimed.

"Well it seems like we all had fun." May said, as they headed back to the Pokemon Center.


	9. The Grasstype is always Wally's favorite

**A/N: It is time for Brendan and Wally's battles with Gardenia! **

**This chapter acts like a counterpart to chapter 4, Family Reunion. Why? You will find out after the divider.**

**Disclaimer: If i owned Pokemon Contestshipping would be cannon no? **

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Chapter 9: The Grass type is always Wally's favourite

"I could just stay here for the rest of my live." Wally said dreamily.

It was a peaceful and quiet morning in Eterna City. The Trio were having their breakfast in the Pokemon Center. Brendan and May swore that Wally's hair was a tad shade brighter that morning; he was still probably washing any particles of earth from Oreburgh.  
"You do know, after we defeat the Gym, and go to Floraroma Town, we will need to go towards Orebough." Brendan muttered. Wally froze.  
"Brendan, stop being mean to Wally!" May scolded, gripping a piece of sour Nomel berry. She remembered the reaction Ash got from eating a slice. A few drops of Nomel juice couldn't do much harm could it? But that was probably because May's pancakes were loaded with sugar which subdued the sour Nomel.  
"It is the truth though!" Brendan exclaimed, jabbing his French toast. He hardly knew about France, all he knew about it was Fantina, one of the Gym Leaders, was from there. He had also heard of America, where Lt. Surge was from.  
"But we will not be stopping there, and you said towards anyway." May pointed out.  
"Exactly." Wally agreed.  
"And anyway, i thought you would be more enthusiastic about the Gym battle?" May asked.  
"We don't need type advantages, all we need is raw power, and i can supply that!" Brendan replied.  
"Do not get carried away okay?" May muttered, swallowing down her pancakes with Oran Juice.  
"Yeah." Wally agreed, munching on his smaller pile of pancakes. Instead of loads of sugar and a squirt of Nomel, he piled it with honey, a reminder of the day before. They had a good breakfast you would expect from a forest area with plenty of berries growing everywhere, continued to Floraroma town in the West.

"So, i am going first." Brendan declared, finishing his toast. "Gardenia will be a cinch."

"Do not count on it, her starter was probably also a Turtwig. By the time she became Gym Leader it would probably be a Torterra already." Wally said, an expert on all things green.  
"Don't worry guys. Chimchar needs a little practice, who knows, Chimchar might evolve. We had quite the training session yesterday."  
"I think you might need more training, on how to manage your ego." Wally muttered.  
"At least its smaller than Drew's." May defended, as they left for some extra training.

"Roserade was my first pokemon."

A familiar voice jolted Brendan out of his happiness, as he recognized the voice. It belonged to a green headed coordinator. Drew and Gardenia were in the grassy gym, sitting on the grassy ground. Drew was clearly showing off his Roserade. Gardenia turned his head.

"Challengers?" She asked, and Brendan nodded. Drew smirked as he saw the brunette.

"Why are you here Drew?" May questioned.

"Since the Floraroma Contest is tomorrow i decided to explore the local forest. I met Gardenia outside the Old Chateau deep in the forest. She invited me back to the Gym, to talk about grass pokemon. Since i only have Roserade, and she has one, it was quite interesting to compare strategies. However, it was cut short. I will take my leave now then, Gardenia." Drew said, standing up gracefully and politely, brushing off loose blades of grass from his backside with elegance.

"Drew." Gardenia said. "Since you told me mostly about your Roserade, i invite you to watch the matches from our challengers."

"That would be wonderful." Drew said, as he sat on the sides.  
"I, Brendan Birch, would like to challenge you." Brendan said formally.

"And as Gym Leader i accept." Gardenia replied.

Wally sat himself on the sidelines, avoiding his fellow grass head, forcing May to sit in the middle. Drew turned away to hide a faint blush, before returning his emerald eyes to the battlefield. Drew's Roserade sat on his other side.

"This battle is between Gardenia, the Gym Leader, and Brendan, the Challenger. This is a three on three battle; furthermore, only the challenger can substitute pokemon. There is no time limit involved."

"Brendan Birch right? Professor Birch's son? I am not going easy on you!" Gardenia exclaimed. "Meet my starter pokemon, Torterra go!"

"I told Brendan, Gardenia would have a Torterra." May muttered to Wally.

"Chimchar, show 'em justice!"

"Let the battle between Torterra and Chimchar begin!"

"Flamewheel then Scratch!" Brendan exclaimed, as the blazing wheel of fire sped towards Torterra, lighting the grassy ground momentarily and scratching Torterra with fiery claws, to no avail.

"Wow, he thought that would hurt Torterra." Wally exclaimed.

"Bite then Energy Ball!"

Torterra bit Chimchar, holding him in his mouth, before a sphere of green light shot out of it, hitting it point blank.

"Chimchar return!" Brendan said quickly before Chimchar could continue further.

"Go Swampert!"

"The battle between Torterra and Swampert begins!"

"That's weird. Brendan is using Swampert. Not only has Torterra been train for more years, but grass is very powerful against Swampert.

"Torterra, Leaf Storm!" Gardenia exclaimed, as Swampert was hurt a lot.  
"Now, Torterra, Frenzy Plant!"

Gigantic roots sprouted from the ground, attacking Swampert.

"Argh, Swampert return, and Aggron come on out!"

"Gardenia is clearly going to win this one." Wally said. Drew agreed easily. Was Brendan really that bad? Or was it because Gardenia was going hard on him because of his reputation?

"Flamethrower!"

It was Torterra's turn to squirm, now under heat. It was tired from the Frenzy Plant.

"Now, Iron Head!"

Torterra collided with the flame covered Iron Head.  
"Now, end this with Iron Tail!"  
Torterra was knocked away, though it was still standing. It had now recovered from the Frenzy Plant.

"Energy Ball." Gardenia commanded, knocking Aggron away, ever so slightly, as Aggron had high defence. The Energy Ball was very powerful though, and Torterra was glowing.

"Overgrow..." Wally muttered.

"Fire Blast!" Brendan yelled, as Torterra was knocked away, and knocked out. Drew frowned; perhaps it was because of the lack of power and type disadvantage from the other two?

"Torterra is unable to battle, Aggron wins!"

"Cherrim, lets go!" she ordered, showing her purplish pokeon.

"The battle between Cherrim and Aggron comenses!"

"Cherrim, Sunny Day!" she ordered as her flowery pokemon showed its pink petals.

"Perfect opportunity Aggron, Fire Blast!"

"Dont be so sure, Dodge and use Solar Beam followed by Magical Leaf!"

Aggron did not appear to feel a thing, Drew noted.

"Metal Burst!" he called, absorbing the attack and sending it back, stronger at Cherrim who was knocked out. Drew decided he had underestimated his rival.

"Cherrim is unable to battle, Aggron wins!"

"Roserade, you're our only hope!"

"The Battle between Roserade and Aggron shall now begin!"

"Roserade, Rain Dance!" Gardenia exclaimed, weakening any fire moves Aggron might use.

"Weather Ball! Grass Knot!"

The sphere of water grew larger and hit Aggron straight on, surprisingly knocking him away, aided by thick strands of grass amongst the other blades. Aggron collapsed on the ground after he tripped over the Grass Knot. Drew smirked wider as Gardenia began to win.

"Giga Drain!"

A green light made quick work of Aggron, taking advantage of the hurt Aggron, as the rain stopped.

"Metal Claw Aggron!"

Aggron tried to get up, and when he finally did...

"Dodge Roserade, then Grass Knot once more!"

Aggron hit the ground again after Roserade dodged his incoming claw with grace and ease, though no where as graceful as Drew's Roserade, trained to be graceful everyday no doubt.

"Roserade, Magical Leaf with a Petal Dance!"

May looked around at Drew, who had a wide smirk on his face as Gardenia did the combination. His eyes turned to hers.

"Aggron is unable to battle, Roserade wins!"

May snapped back from Drew as she saw Brendan return his fallen Aggron, and return his Chimchar.

"He chose Chimchar because of Grass Knot." Drew said idly.

"The Battle between Roserade and Turtwig will now begin!"

"Chimchar, use Ember!"

"Roserade dodge."

May stared, it was foolish for Brendan to use Ember, proved by the fiery pellets hitting the ground.

"Flamewheel and Scratch!"

"Slow them down with Magical Leaf!"

She was not intending for the glowing leaves to hit Chimchar, but in front of him, meaning Chimchar would lose speed. The flames broke up and vanished.

"Leech Seed!"

While Chimchar was close to Roserade from the Flamewheel, a seed was aimed at Chimchar, unfurling vines to sap Chimchar's energy. Chimchar tried to stand up properly, but the vines restricted his movement, eventually collapsing.

"Chimchar is unable to battle! Roserade wins!"

"I thought Torterra was the powerhouse." May muttered to Wally. The wrong grass head answered her question.

"Roserade is faster." Drew explained easily. "And besides, Torterra already did alot of damage to Chimchar."

"Let the battle between Roserade and Swampert begin!"

"Ice Beam!"

"Dodge and use Magical Leaf!"

Roserade dodged the ice beam with grace, managing to frost the ground, and fired off glowing leaves from Roserade's bouquets. They hit Swampert easily, despite Swampert trying to dodge.

"Gardenia is going to win this clearly, Swampert took plenty of damage from that Frenzy Plant and Leaf Storm." Drew said confidently.

"Sunny Day and Flash!" Gardenia ordered, as the sunlight grew intense, mirrored by the Flash.

"Hammer Arm, Swampert!" Brendan commanded, as Swampert got close to Roserade and swung...

"Solarbeam." Gardenia said, as Swampert was sent back, fainted.

"Swampert is unable to battle, Roserade wins, which means Gardenia wins the battle!"

"I lost?" Brendan said blankly.

-

"I wish i did not have to verse you for the badge, as i adore green stuff! Dearest Green Gardevoir! Come on out!"

Meanwhile, back on the side lines, Brendan did not want to sit next to Drew, sandwiching May in-between the two rivals. Brendan had no reason besides Drew's cockiness to be rivals though. Drew knew Brendan was a rival for May's affections, and Brendan was sure winning.

"The Battle between Torterra and Gardevoir shall now begin!"

"Torterra, Energy Ball!" Gardenia called, as a sphere of glowing green energy headed towards Gardevoir. Wally gazed at the greenness before shaking out of it.

"Double Team!" Wally called, as Gardevoir split into multiple ones, dodging the Energy Ball with ease.

"Wally's strategy is coming out well." Brendan remarked.

"Torterra, Leaf Storm!" Gardenia said, as glowing leaves similar in appearance to magical leaves swept around the battlefield, brushing against the blades of grass, and taking them with it for an extra punch.

"Protect!" Wally called as a sphere of energy surrounded Gardevoir, protecting her from the leaves and occasional bit of grass. They broke into more sparkles, or in the case of grass, dropped back on the ground. Some blew into Wally's hair, though they were left unnoticed.

"You are not getting out of this one, Magical Leaf!"

"Imprison!"

The glowing mystical leaves were sent out of Torterra's mouth, but no sooner than that, they burst into green sparkles that made Wally very happy. Torterra could no longer use the move, or any more that Gardevoir could use herself.

"Now, Focus Blast!" Wally exclaimed.

A sphere of blue energy formed in Gardevoir's hands, as she shot the sphere at Torterra, hitting him on the full.  
"Finish with Hyper Beam!"

The battle ended when Gardevoir fired an orange beam from her mouth. The power sent Torterra flying, stopping only when it hit a large tree. Leaves rustled to the ground.

"Torterra is unable to battle, Gardevoir wins!"

"Damn, Wally is better than me!" Brendan exclaimed in an annoyed tone. He decided he would instead look around at the trees that surrounded the battlefield. Drew was more laid back, Wally was not a threat, and Gardenia's Roserade was not on the battlefield anyway.

"The battle between Cherrim and Gardevoir has begun!"

"Cherrim, Magical Leaf and Leech Seed!"

The leaves were carrying the leech seed, catching Gardevoir unawares, and slowly sapping her energy. It was hard to concentrate on the battle now.

"Solarbeam!" Gardenia exclaimed, as Cherrim used the sunlight that came through the open ceiling to charge one up quickly, before sending it at Gardevoir, who was still having her energy sapped.  
"Green Gardevoir, use Psychic on the vines!" Wally ordered, as Gardevoir attempted to remove the vines.

"Solarbeam once more!"

Before Gardevoir could untie herself by using her mind, the solarbeam hit her straight on.  
"Gardevoir is unable to battle, Cherrim wins!"

"Both have one pokemon down." Brendan observed, turning back towards the match, after deciding that trees were not that interesting. At least they were more interesting than the rocks in Oreburgh. In fact, Brendan decided that Eterna City was indeed a wonderful place.

"The battle between Cherrim and Flygon shall now begin!"

Drew twitched slightly at the sound of Flygon, which he also had. It appeared to him that the two grass heads did have pokemon in common.

"Fire Blast!" Wally called, though Cherrim dodged with ease, before twirling and using Magical Leaf at Gardenia's command, which hit Flygon.

May glanced at the two bored boys beside her.

"Flamethrower!" Wally exclaimed loudly, bringing May back to Eterna City, as she watched as Cherrim got toasted after dodging a Dragon Pulse.

"I think that Wally has this in the bag. He has one pokemon to go on full health and Flygon seems pretty good right now." May said to Brendan.

"Let the battle between Roserade and Flygon begin!"

Drew glanced up finally, glancing at Flygon and Roserade with his emerald eyes.

"So Drew, where is Harley and Solidad?" May asked casually.

"What? You just realised they are not here?" Drew asked in mock surprise. Brendan looked irritated fists slightly clenched.

"Anyway, i don't actually travel with them. I am travelling Sinnoh on my own." Drew explained, before going back to the battle.

"Roserade, grab Flygon!" Gardenia exclaimed, as vines from Roserade's bouquets extended, grasping onto Flygon's wings. The battlefield was currently snowy, causing damage to Roserade and Flygon.

"Weather Ball!"  
A ball of ice appeared in between the bouquets and hit Flygon easily because of the vines.

"Flygon is unable to battle, Roserade wins!"

The hail soon ceased as Wally sent out his newly caught and evolved Wormadam.

"Let the battle between Roserade and Wormadam commence!"

"Wormadam, Hidden Power!" Wally exclaimed, as Wormadam glowed, and was surrounded by white orbs which shot at Roserade. Roserade got hit multiple times.

"Roserade, Magical Leaf!" Gardenia commanded, as the glowing leaves appeared once more.

"Protect!" Wally exclaimed, as Wormadam was surrounded by a glowing shield momentarily.

"Now use Razor Leaf, controlled by Confusion!" Wally exclaimed, as the normal looking leaves glowed like magical leaves, only around the edges. They slammed right into Roserade.

"Roserade is already weakened by Flygon, so Wally's new Wormadam has a good chance." Brendan said.

"Now, Hidden Power!" Wally exclaimed as Wormadam glowed again, before launching the spheres of white.

"Dodge it Roserade!" Gardenia called.

"Confusion!" Wally cried, as the white spheres glowed and zoomed towards Roserade.

"Use your vines!" Gardenia commanded as the vines impaled the spheres into white sparkles.

"Now Roserade, use the sun to your advantage with Weather Ball!"

A sphere of fire was aimed towards Wormadam, but Wally quickly stopped it.

"Protect!" This time it was weaker, but it still prevented the Weather Ball to hit.

"Now, Psybeam!" Wally exclaimed as a beam of psychic energy slammed right into Roserade.'

"Wow, Wormadam already learned three new moves since evolving!" May said in surprise.

"I bet he was waiting to use it for the final blow." Brendan pointed out, as Wally won his Forest Badge.

"So Brendan, think you are so good? It appears Wally got his second badge and you don't." Drew drawled, standing up to leave, just as May and Brendan went up to Wally.

"Lets go!" Brendan called. "I am going to practice for my rematch in two days time."

"I will help you." Wally offered. He looked towards May as they walked out of the Gym.

"No, i think i will practice for my contest in two days by myself."

Drew, who was leaning on a tree, heard what May said. He decided that he would 'accidently' stumble across May's training spot.

"Man am i becoming a stalker or what?" He muttered to himself.

* * *

May stalked him to Johto, he decided. He had offered her the chance to go with him. She declined the opportunity. Then one day in Johto, Drew and May had met each other once more. He saw more of her after that. And it was true he himself had a few stalkerish times too. He had liked her from the start, she was fascinating to him. He had first seen her practicing with her Beautifly, with an appeal that included Frisbees. His cover was blown when she failed to catch her third and last one. It whizzed towards him, and he caught it with a confident and cool manner. Instantly he hurled insults at her, expecting the girl to reply in an infatuated manner. Instead she snapped back. Drew found it cute when she did so. It was such a difference to what he normally received. Refreshing, but risky though.

Since then they were rivals, constantly trying to outwit and out battle each other. She slowly softened up to him though. They were friends. Drew never knew a friend zone existed for him, but she had made room for herself in his heart.

Now the two of them were in Sinnoh, rivals yet again. She was not travelling alone, rather with two of her childhood friends, both close to her heart. Closer than he was. He found fun in teasing Brendan, though it was not in the same way that he had been teasing May. It was more satisfying though, teasing the black haired boy. Why did he do it?

He was jealous of Brendan Birch.

Ash had never been such a strong competitor in the game of love. Even if his head was filled with food and dense as anything like May's, the two of them were more like siblings.

He smirked. This would be fun.

"Venusaur, use Leech Seed and a single Razor Leaf!" May commanded, as Venusaur did as told in the large clearing. The seed on top of her head glowed, and a brown seed appeared high in the sky. As Drew watched from afar, a single leaf cut through the shell, unfolding the vines like a canopy.

"Growth on the vines!" May exclaimed, as a green light came from Venusaur, like Absorb, except it did the opposite. As it hit the brown shell at the centre of the clearing, more vines grew, lashing onto the trees surrounding the clearing. It was almost like if it really was a tree canopy. Even Drew was impressed.

"Solarbeam softly!" May ordered, as Venusaur gathered the feeble amounts of sunlight that shone through, and aimed through the canopy, outlining the trees in light.

"I must admit that was quite good." Drew commented as he departed from the trees.

"Drew?" May said in a surprised tone.

"I would be blind if i did not see the disc of green leaves from where i was training. I was curious." Drew explained.

"Which pokemon are you using for the appeals? Roserade again?" May enquired.

"No May, even i, Drew, needs some variety, even if i always make it through to the battle round by pure skill. Unlike you and your Beautifly and its Silver Wind."

"That is interesting to hear from the coordinator that used Petal Dance way to much! You used Roserade more than i ever used Beautifly!" May exclaimed angrily, closing her eyes as she crossed her arms firmly. Drew admitted she had a point, but that was for his thoughts only.

"How about i show you my appeal?" Drew offered with a flick of his hair.

"Well it is only fair, since you watched my appeal." May pointed out, opening her eyes and pouting cutely. If Drew was any other guy, he would've blushed, but Drew never really blushed.

"Well, Butterfree, show her what we have been practicing." Drew ordered as his Butterfree appeared, surrounded by bubbles, clearly from a Foamy Seal.

"Start off with a Whirlwind!" Drew said clearly, as the bubbles were reduced to blue sparkles in the whirlwind.

"Now, Psybeam and Silver Wind!" Drew continued, as the psybeam whirled around the tornado. Silvery crescents flew upwards and around the multicolored tunnel, changing the dominating colors of the psybeam, bright pink and purple to a more subtle color, to let the other colors shine through slowly, like a lava lamp.

"Finish with Silver Wind and Flash!"

This time the Silver Wind was stronger, as the tunnel grew wider and slowly surrounded Butterfree. Butterfree glowed, and before she knew it, a flash of bright light shone from Butterfree. The sparkles hovered around the clearing like fairy lights.

"Wow." May said in awe. Drew smirked.

"You can reuse similar combinations, but in different ways. Every appeal is a work of art." Drew explained, before a rose appeared from nowhere, probably from his vest.

"For example this rose here. Take it, maybe it will inspire you?" Drew said as he tossed the rose to her.

"_Inspire you to love me May…" _


	10. To Floaroma Town

**A/N: I have had Writers Block for the past few days. And yes, the next contest is not upon us yet. Besides, it is a short contest, with one chapter instead of the usual two. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. I also do not own . If I did I would insure that no one needs to right a disclaimer, because it is Fanfiction.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 10: To Floaroma Town!

Drew was not evil; he was cocky, but not evil. Harley's cheating antics were another story. They were evil, but not evil as in Team Rocket or anything like that.  
But Drew was not evil. He was quite the arrogant boy, though May knew that Drew disliked his fan club, even if they practically worshipped him. May had softened up to Drew after their two years of knowing each other. She saw beyond the egoistic comments, even if she still grew mad if he insulted her.

Even though he always saw her beneath him, he always gave her advice. He tried to stray her away from Harley and his cheating ways.

He could be arrogant one minute, and the next, nice. **Masquer**ain and Roser**ade**. Their names sounded like masquerade, and could be seen when you placed parts of their names together. A coincidence? Was Drew hiding behind a mask of emotions?

She blinked as she returned Venusaur, and sent out her Piplup.

"Shall we practice Whirlpool again?" She enquired, and Piplup nodded. Piplup were always Piplup's, proud and determined. While at the Wallace Cup, Dawn told her Piplup learned Whirlpool before the Floraroma Contest started. May had seen how powerful her Piplup's Whirlpool was. She was determined to be better than Dawn.

When she was with Brendan near the Cycling Road, Brendan had been practicing Flamethrower for his Gym Battle. Both of their practices ended in almost disaster, if it wasn't for the fact the two attacks canceled each other out once they got out of control. Brendan decided not to use Flamethrower for his Gym Battle. Then they decided to go exploring.

"Piplup, Whirlpool softly!" May said, as she was conscious of her pokemon's feelings and limits. Piplup glowed, and slowly a small Whirlpool was created above Piplup's head. Piplup aimed it at a tree. The water rebounded, still slightly spinning from the whirlpool.

"You know, a small Whirlpool is quite a good appeal move." May commented. "A large one is good for battles. A little larger this time okay? Do not stretch yourself though."  
This time the whirlpool was larger than Piplup's head. Slowly it grew to the same size as Piplup's body. May's Piplup knew how big a normal whirlpool was, and this was no where near the right size. Piplup's maintained a strong sense of pride, that why Piplup did stretch himself, making it larger than he could control. The control was removed, as the water spun around Piplup.

"Bide Piplup!" May commanded quickly, as the wheel of water was absorbed into the once more glowing Piplup.  
"Now!" she said, as the water came back out again, like a spinning water pulse, glowing from the Bide.

"You know, this is the start of an awesome appeal!" May said excitedly. Piplup agreed happily, before she returned him. She decided it was a good time to go back, as the sky started to darken, even if patches of orange and purple illuminated the sky.

As she ventured from the forest, she realized that it was the sunset.

"Now that is a work of art, no?" A familiar voice called that she heard from not long ago. It was Drew of course, who was gazing at the sunset. He was relaxing, lying down on the grassy grown, arms tucked behind his head. May guessed that this was where he had been training. Drew noticed his rose was still in May's hand.

"Sure is." May said happily looking at the warm shades of color projected against clouds resembling Mareep. The orb that was the sun sank lower beyond the distant horizon.

"Well see you in Floaroma Town!" she cried, as she skipped away back to the Pokemon Centre.

* * *

Despite Eterna City being a place of nature, rocky walls surrounded the forest outlining the City. The Trio departed the gates of stone that morning on their way to Floaroma Town. As they walked across the simple bridge across a large pond, Wally gazed fondly at Eterna Forest. Soon they paced through the outskirts of the green kingdom into more rocky territory. However, the rocks surrounding Eterna seemed more natural than those in nearby Oreburgh. It was probably the clear air.

After a few good minutes jumping down ledges in the green grass and walking along platforms of rock, they reached a river, flowing to unknown destinations. Actually it probably came from Mt. Coronet, and was probably traveling to the sea, but that hardly sounds dramatic does it?

Soon after that, their nostrils were flooded with the perfume of flowers, as they entered the Town. Baskets of multicolored flowers cascaded from balconies. Clear water cascaded from the fountains that adorned the town. Trees were dotted around the place.

"Floaroma Town is certainly beautiful." May said.  
"Mmhmm." Brendan replied absentmindedly as they sat on a grassy hill. They had decided to explore the Town on their new foldable bicycles. They had reached a grassy area. They decided to have a rest before training in the rather relaxing town. Brendan was determined to defeat Gardenia.

"Go, Chimchar!" Brendan exclaimed as he stood up and replaced his white hat on his head; he had removed it because he wanted to feel the wind in his hair.

"Shall we practice our Flamethrower for our rematch?" He asked. Chimchar nodded.

"Maybe Chimchar should have a battle with Piplup?" May suggested, as Piplup stood beside her.

"Good idea." Brendan agreed.

"Chimchar, Flamewheel! Brendan exclaimed, as Chimchar whizzed across the hilltop, cloaked in bright orange flames that lasted mere seconds on the green blades of grass that covered the hill, hardly charring the ground. The wheel of fire charged towards the Penguin pokemon, sparks flying everywhere in its brilliant path.

"Bubblebeam in front of the Flamewheel!" May exclaimed, doing the same as Gardenia when she defeated Chimchar but with Bubblebeam. Orbs of blue emerged in swift succession from Piplup's beak, hitting the ground with blue sparks of water. Soon the wheel of fire was stopped in its tracks by the watery fireworks. The flames flickered away as the figure of Chimchar appeared once more.

"Now peck!" May continued. Before Chimchar would react from the sudden halt of flames, Piplup's beak glowed white and directly hit Chimchar, knocking him straight back, back on the grassy hill.

"Lets try a Flamethrower!" Brendan commanded. A sudden and short blast of orange fire blasted Piplup back, who could not get away in time.

"Again!" Brendan said. This time the Flamethrower was long but thin and weak, like a weak laser beam.

"Dodge and use Whirlpool!" May cried, as Piplup easily dodged the streak of fire and started glowing creating a blue spiral of water, assembling for a Whirlpool attack that got larger and larger.

"Go!" May said, before her Penguin Pokemon could lose control over the whirlpool. Piplup did better than the last time they practiced, the night before, creating a whirlpool one and a half times the size of him. The whirlpool struck Chimchar, trapping him in it, and striking multiple times. Piplup was satisfied with his attack.

"Chimchar, jump out of there!" Brendan exclaimed as he watched his pokemon in his prison of rippling bright blue. Chimchar did as commanded, managing to jump up above the water that veiled his sight.

"Piplup, bubble beam!"

As Chimchar managed to jump out of the whirlpool, he was struck by thousands of blue tinted bubbles, crashing back into the Whirlpool. The water was an excellent barrier to stop Chimchar from knowing where Piplup was.

"Try a Scratch attack!"

Piplup's Whirlpool attack was not the strongest, so Chimchar got out, sparkles of blue drifting towards May as he slashed the water.

"Flamethrower!"

This time, Chimchar's Flamethrower was perfect in power, not too weak, not too strong and sudden. Flames rushed out of Chimchar's mouth towards the blue starter pokemon.

"Bide Piplup!" May retaliated, as the fire surrounded Piplup.

"Release!"  
A light sudden hit Chimchar from Piplup, knocking him and the remaining embers of his flamethrower backwards. It was twice as strong as Chimchar's Flamethrower, and it filled the hill with light.

"Peck once more!"

Brendan and Chimchar did not see the attack, until it was far too late to counter. Piplup dived into the peck and hit his target.

"Return Chimchar, you were awesome." Brendan said, as a red light surrounded Chimchar. He minimized the ball and clipped it onto his belt once more. May on the other hand allowed Piplup to rest on the grass while they watched Wally train with Turtwig and Wormadam.

"Well since my Contest is tomorrow, let's go to the Pick a Peck of Colors Flower Shop!" May said as she stood up from the grass and advanced towards the building standing in fields of flowers.

"Why though?" Brendan asked, and May turned back to him as she returned Piplup. Wally returned his pokemon too as they walked down the green hill.

"I heard the owner gives out Poffin lessons." May explained. "They are like pokeblocks but made in different ways."

"I see." Brendan replied as he watched Wally examine all the flowers and bushes filled with berries of all colors. Soon the Trio reached the little shop. They noticed a woman with dark green hair with a Roserade and Lotad. She was spraying the plants of her orchid with a Sprayduck, the Sinnoh version of a Walimer Pail.

"Hello, welcome to my Flower Shop!" the green head exclaimed, looking up at the Trio. Wally decided that Sinnoh was an excellent place with plenty of green headed people.

"Hello, we would like to take a Poffin Making Lesson." May offered. The woman nodded and put down her Sprayduck.

"Very well. My name is Forsythia." She introduced herself.

"My name is May."

"I'm Brendan."

"And I am Wally."

"Well come on in!" Forsythia said, as she opened the door and gestured for them to join her inside. They looked at the plants, all in quaint little pots, and in tip top shape. She ushered them into the Shop Kitchens.

Forsythia's Roserade placed out freshly peeled and cut berries. After Roserade's owner had told Roserade that the Red Scarf was unneeded, Roserade became confident and was not shy at all.

"First you put your selected berries into a pot of cold water." Forsythia explained, as she did the said action, "Then you turn on the flame."

"Is everyone with me?" she asked, and the Trio nodded, before she finished explaining.

May decided not to put in weird combinations of berries, like the time when she first created her Purple Surprise. She thought of her pokemon's tastes before placing some chopped berries into cold water. She turned on the heat, set the timer on her Poketch and began stirring at a moderate pace.

Soon their Poketch's beeped, and they turned off the heat, pouring their mixtures into the moulds as instructed. They let them cool before placing them on plates. May asked if she was allowed to do another batch, and Forsythia allowed her.

"My pokemon will probably not like these. I decided to stay safe, so you can see if these poffins will agree with your pokemon. " Brendan told May. Wally was already giving out his poffins, and his pokemon seemed to like them. May sent out her pokemon. Beautifly dived straight to the sweet pink poffins, as Beautifly liked sweet things. So did Piplup and Glaceon. May's second batch was spicier, and Blaziken ate them up. May sent out Venusaur outside, who also liked the sweet poffins. Well she was the Bulbasaur Ash, Brock and Max knew who liked flowers and that kind of stuff.

"Thank you Forsythia!" May expressed her thanks, to be replied by a smile and a basket of berries.

"Take these, so you can start off some more poffins." The Dark Green haired woman insisted. The trio thanked her once more before heading back to the center of town, and thus to the Pokemon Centre.

* * *

"Butterfree, return."

Drew had been alerted of their presence after he had seen a whirlpool, a blue hue filling in between the forest trees in his sight. He had been practicing with his pokemon when he had seen the water. He had walked casually closer to the battle, when a bright light shone through, and seconds later, the Snow Head's Chimchar had fainted. Soon after the Trio had departed.

He had decided to occupy the space, just in case they returned. Then he could see May again, as well as gain the pleasure of teasing Brendan. Man, he was becoming like an emotional sadist. Love made you do the weirdest things after all.

So he had perfected Butterfree's appeal, and discovered another option of an appeal; a more artistic way.

If you saw Drew you would not think he was an artist. If you were female and around his age unless you were May, you would think he was the handsomest guy ever. If you did not fit into the category, then depending on the mask he put on his face, you would either think he was a polite boy or an egoistic one.

But coordinators relied on the beauty of their pokemon, and how well they were raised. It was all too easily to just create a shape, a form from simple attacks.

He decided to give up on his stalking antics for now. If he kept going May would never get into the Grand Festival. Unlike May, he was going straight to the Heathrome Contest after the Floaroma. It was a double appeal and double battle, and he needed practice in that area.


	11. Mask of Ice starts to melt

**A/N: I will not be posting as often as my holidays are over. I am only up to writing Chapter 15, and I have only written one paragraph of that :P**

**So, It's the Floaroma Town Contest. Both rounds are included in this one, as May and Drew are the only two main characters in this one. The next contest has already been written and is much longer.**

**Disclaimer: I am running out of disclaimers. If I owned pokemon I would not have to use disclaimers and thus I would not be running out of them right?**

* * *

**Chapter 11: ****Mask of Ice starts to melt**

May glanced up at the stadium surrounded by greenery and wreaths of flowers. The day of the Floaroma Town Contest had finally graced them. She grinned widely as she prepared for her last minute training. You could always get better. She remembered back in Hoenn, after Robert had won, he started training ready for the next one already.

"Piplup, lets practice your Whirlpool." May said after the Penguin pokemon had appeared from his pokeball. Piplup nodded confidently as he glowed, and water spiraled above him. The two boys had gone for some training on their own. May knew that Brendan was making sure the perfect flamethrower in their battle was not a fluke. She snapped back to reality, and watched as the Whirlpool grew into a healthy size. Piplup decided to aim it at a tree. The water rebounded in a curve, an echo of the spirals of water. It formed a ring momentarily, before showering coordinator and pokemon with water.

"Creative way to utilize Whirlpool, I have to admit." A familiar drawl echoed through the little training area. "Though it is a bit plain, just like you." He criticized mockingly, waiting for her outburst. She was indeed fuming, but decided to control her emotions.

"Just because you see me as plain, doesn't mean I really am!" May claimed sharply. Drew was surprised by her comment, though he hid it well.

"Just because people hide behind masks doesn't make them the mask itself!" she continued. Drew decided he had underestimated her intelligence. Of course, her wit had always been superior to any of his fan girls, but she was so dense. Emerald met Sapphire, calm as ever, yet behind his façade he was flustered. If he was one for showing it, he would be blushing.

"I am merely training here. But it seems that you have occupied the spot." Drew explained suddenly pulling away from her stare, before turning away, the wind doing his bang flicking thing for him.

"Wait Drew! I don't mind you staying here." May invited, the hint of a blush lightly painted on her face. Perhaps she had hit a certain spot? She decided maybe the Drew she knew would be better than anything else.

"_Bingo." _He thought, before masking his expression and turning around.

"If your ego doesn't fill this place." May finished her hands folded across her chest.

May twirled around in her contest outfit happily. The contest was drawing near, an hour to go. She had spent the past two hours with Drew; sometimes bickering, sometimes being nice to each other. Drew had informed her that the Heathrome Contest was a double battle and appeal, so he had willingly and surprisingly demonstrated one for her. Actually it was not surprising; he was just an arrogant show off. She had just finished changing into her genie like costume. They had agreed to go in earlier. It was only the two of them in the waiting room. Drew was pleased secretly, but for now he was just sitting on one of the cushy square-like seats, twirling his new and fresh bright red rose around.

A half an hour passed, and people had started to file in. She lost track of Drew within the crowd. It was nice to know someone in a contest, even if they were your rival and probable opponent in the battle round. She did not notice him in the closest corner behind her, gazing at her from time to time. He was pondering about his façade. He needed it more secure. But he could hardly do it while the love of his life seemed to flit in and out of his life at a rapid pace, and when she wasn't there, he sought her out. He admitted he was a bit of a stalker lately. He would hurry over to Heathrome quickly after this contest.

"_Damn hormones."_ He growled in his head. Perhaps that was the whole topic was the unpleasant bit of being a teenager.

He snapped his eyes over to the screen. A ray of light shone down on Marian as petals floated across the dim stage, mimicking a petal dance. After finishing speaking the flower filled stage filled with light, combined with cheers.

As usual the MC introduced the judges and explained about the contest, suddenly flung out a ribbon for all to see.

Drew glanced down at Butterfree's pokeball. He had placed an Ele-Seal on Butterfree's ball capsule. He turned to find May gone. He frowned, before turning towards the screen where the brunette was.

"Venusaur, take the stage!"

A large pink bulb appeared on the stage, surrounded by pink flowers. The bud opened to reveal Venusaur.

"Okay Venusaur, get those petals in the air with Vine Whip!" May ordered to Drew's frown; though he realized what an idiot he was, to think that May only had one appeal ready for display.

Two green vines came out of Venusaur's flower, and spun around like a propeller, lifting the petals in a whirlwind look alike. Drew admitted the idea was excellent.

"Add your own petals to the mix!" May ordered, as a Petal Dance was used. Venusaur's petals flew up in a spiral around the pink hurricane.

"Sweet Scent!" May continued as a pleasant aroma spread through the hall, also pink in coloration. It was a thin mist of sweet scents.

"Now for our big finale, Solarbeam!" she yelled. Once only Ash's Bulbasaur knew the attack, but now her female Venusaur also knew it.

The ray of light collided with everything, illuminating them before they burst into pink fireworks, slightly with different colors because the light. They fireworks went on for another few seconds or so, as the sweet scent was exploding at random times. The fireworks reminded Drew of flowers, and thus roses. He blinked; this was a better appeal than he originally believed.

"Well that is an explosive start!"Marian exclaimed, before turning over to the judges.

"The way you used the Vine Whip was very creative and unique." Mr. Contesta commented.

"That was remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo remarked.

"It was a great start to our appeals today." Nurse Joy confessed happily.

None of the other appeals really caught Drew's attention. There was no one he knew, no one he cared for. There was no Solidad, no Harley, heck, even Brianna wasn't at the contest. The thought sounded heartless, but May did mean the world to him, no matter how he annoyed her.

He had heard that many male preteens and boys in their early teenage years showed their affection by teasing the ones they adore, grasping their attention. He thanked Arceus for making May dense, so she did not know it.

But his mask was slipping from his face.

Soon it became his turn to step up. His feet echoed on the floor of the steadied his mask, tightened it, and smiled brightly at all his adoring fans. It was true; he was a cocky bastard, not literally of course. He was arrogant, but he was only human. He could feel sorrow, heck; he can smile without smirking though it is so rare people cannot see beyond the egoistic and yes, handsome visage. Few could see past his slim build and chartreuse hair; his Tall and Grassy figure. Normally girls around his age would swoon if he looked into their eyes with his emeralds.

As a child, Drew had always been praised for his handsome looks and his abilities to gain any girl he wanted. He could be nice but his slight narcissistic voice was the voice of an angel to the females around his age. He grew confident, and over the top. The mask became him, he was the mask. The times when people saw him as nice was limited to usually Solidad, his motherly figure. She understood him, but Drew knew he would never see Solidad in a more romantic way.

Then she appeared. He shot her sharp remarks and she bounced right back. They instantly became rivals. She saw him as an arrogant coordinator with a fan club. But she also saw him as a friend with a group of rabid fan girls chasing him everywhere. She saw his jealousy of Harley, though she probably interpreted it as suspicion, yes, but Drew was still jealous of any guy close to May's heart, except for Max of course.

Back in reality, Drew threw up a pokeball.

"Butterfree, lets show them!" he exclaimed as the butterfly like pokemon appeared surrounded by yellow electricity. He had decided against his original decision with the Foamy Seal; his appeal really needed that extra spark.

"Start off with a Whirlwind!" Drew started, as the electricity spiralled around and in the whirlwind, some growing larger, some being reduced to sparks. Drew was right with his decision.

"Now, Psybeam and Silver Wind!" Drew continued, as the pink tinted psybeam whirled around the electrifying tornado. Just as practiced, the silvery crescents from Butterfree's Silver Wind dulled the dominating pink and purple of the colorful whirlwind to a more subtle color, to let the other colors shine through slowly, like a lava lamp. Sparks from the seal still flashed illuminating the colors at different times.

"Finish with Silver Wind and Flash!"

The stronger Silver Wind cut through the lava lamp tunnel slightly, spreading the tunnel till it covered Butterfree. Then a bright light flashed. When the light dimmed the stage was filled with glowing fairy lights. It was truly a mystical effect.

"That was a colorful appeal." Marian exclaimed, as a glowing sparkle passed her.

"The first Silver Wind really helped, seeing that in a Psybeam, unlike an Aurora Beam, Pink and Purple dominates. You showed how you can modify attacks." Mr. Contesta said.

"Truly remarkable." Mr. Sukizo remarked.

"That was a very beautiful appeal." Nurse Joy exclaimed happily.

Drew bowed and returned Butterfree before leaving the stage. The appeal had gone very well.

"You were awesome!" May exclaimed as he entered the Waiting Room.

"Naturally." He said arrogantly, before stalking away to lean against a wall. May frowned.

"Are you okay Drew?" The brunette asked, weaving through the crowd to find the green head.

"Yes." He lied smoothly, smelling his rose; perhaps that would soothe his aching heart.

* * *

Finally the appeals were over, and the Judges were discussing who went through. Drew was twirling his rose again absentmindedly. He had gone through easily, so did May.

The two coordinators did their battles, and at last, and once again they stood opposite each other, in the finals. This time however, Drew had his Absol and May had her Glaceon.

Both coordinators fought excellent battles. Drew had fought a Marshtomp in one of the rounds, easily destroying its Protect with Feint and finishing it with Psycho Cut. He enjoyed that battle, since Brendan had a Swampert. In one round, May's Glaceon defeated a Bellossom by digging underground and coming up with an Ice Fang then Iron Tail.

But now they met at the finals like last time.

"Five minutes on the clock so let's go!" Marian exclaimed.

"Ice Beam on the ground, along with Ice Shard!" May cried suddenly, as Glaceon opened her mouth, sending a blue lightning-like beam hit the ground, freezing it, before an Ice Shard skidded across the ice rink, sending Absol skidding across the ice. Drew was losing. May grinned before she ordered another attack.

"Iron Tail!" she exclaimed, as Glaceon flew through the air to land her glowing tail in Absol's face.

"Water Pulse Glaceon away!" Drew managed as the water surrounded Absol and pushed outwards.

"Mirror Coat and Tackle!" she retaliated, as Glaceon glowed like a mirror; truly beautiful to see. When she jumped through the water the liquid reflected off her mirror coat, sending rainbows through the water. She hit Absol directly.

"Night Slash!" He commanded, slashing Glaceon backwards with a Night Slash from Absol's sickle.

"Tail Whip on the ground! Then Aqua Tail!" May demanded, as Glaceon's diamond shaped tail wagged cutely, meaning Glaceon landed on her tail, muffing the blow. Furthermore, Glaceon's tail was surrounded by rings of water which soon turned to rings of ice, along with sudden white sparkles surrounding Glaceon. Glaceon's fur was slightly spiky too.

"Here we see Glaceon's ability to control the air around it with its body heat!"

Drew cursed silently in his head. At least the water from the Water Pulse sparkled down around Absol beautifully. He knew that May was probably winning it.

"Quick attack!" he commanded, as Absol ran; sometimes you couldn't see him.

"Ice Fang where you think he will be next!" May returned, as lightning-like Ice Fangs struck the ground in front of Absol, causing him to lose concentration over the Quick Attack.

"Now, Giga Impact!" she exclaimed as Glaceon glowed and slammed into the dazed Absol. Absol had fainted from the powerful attack.

"Absol is unable to battle, that means our Floaroma Contest Winner for this year is May!" Marian exclaimed, flashing a picture of May. On one side of the picture was a picture of her Venusaur, and on the other, her Glaceon.

Drew returned his Absol, and left the stage to go change. So May had won. He would stay back to hand the rose, and then he would be on his way. He decided to go to Oreburgh for the Contest there. May and her friends had gone there already and hated it, as he discovered when they were training together some hours before, so there was no way she would be there. After that he would go to Heathrome and rejoin Harley and Solidad. He would stay there for the how many weeks before the famed Heathrome Contest. He wasn't too fused, as Heathrome was considered _the _place to live in Sinnoh. Of course Heathrome was the home for Contests in Sinnoh; even their Gym Leader, Fantina was a coordinator; maybe he could obtain some tricks off her. Drew came from a very rich family, so he could live comfortably in those weeks there.

"Congratulations." Drew said as May returned with her first Sinnoh Ribbon. He had changed already. He was not looking at her, but rather at his aromatherapy laced rose. He threw it at her with expert precision, as she caught it.

"See you in the Heathrome contest." He said, meeting her blue eyes for a second, before turning to leave.


	12. Greentype is getting on Brendan's nerves

**A/N: Yet another chapter based on the title: The Grass-type is always greener!**

**This time it is Brendan's rematch with Gardenia. Who knew that green was so powerful? Oh wait Wally. That was a rhetorical question you know…**

**We will also follow Drew's journey to Hearthome too. Well tiny sped up snippets.**

**Disclaimer: I think I am going to stick with the good ol' I do not own Pokemon**

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Green type is getting on Brendan's nerves! **

Three roses; that's how many she had currently. One from the time she registered for Sinnoh Contests, the second from the time he discussed appeals not long ago, and now the third was the one that he wore with pride on his ivory tailcoat. The three were slightly cramped into the side hidden by the seal envelope. She was not going to show Brendan them, he would be suspicious.

"Congratulations." The black haired teenager said as she made her way out, redressed in her green outfit. "You really kicked Drew's butt didn't you?"

"Yep." May said with a carefree giggle as they went on their way.

Her mind was jumbled with appeals and battle strategies and ways to deflect certain attacks. She was quite stressed despite the fact that she knew no one in the Eterna Contest, or perhaps that was her very reason. Her blue penguin pokemon Piplup was all set for the appeal round, though she had not decided on her battle pokemon yet. It was probably going to be Beautifly, who could dodge blows with expert ease on the battlefield despite being quite the appeal pokemon.

"Before the sun goes down I think I will practice for my next contest." May declared as they walked back towards the flowery pokemon centre. It was the late afternoon, and thus it was agreed that they would head back to Eterna City the next day.

"Why, already?" Brendan exclaimed in surprise pausing on the sidewalk, glancing the brunette. May grinned.

"Well Brendan, don't you have a Gym Battle to prepare for?" May asked, pouting at him.

"Well Chimchar does need practice with his Flamethrower." Brendan admitted turning back to hide his blush.

"Well I think I will just go to sleep early." Wally said. "As I already have defeated Gardenia I have nothing to do."

Brendan was a little annoyed that Wally had to remind him that the Gym Battle was a rematch. Wally grinned widely as they stepped inside the Pokemon Centre. The Nurse Joy had not come back yet, but since they had already gotten rooms her presence was not urgent.

Brendan took out the key and inserted it into the door, which clicked open smoothly. He pushed open the door to reveal the two bunks. Wally did mean what he said, and was preparing for bed. May took some of the berries from Forsythia's basket and went down to the Centre kitchens. Brendan already headed out the door to train.

* * *

The ground was rough and rocky under Drew's green bike. No surprise there, as he neared Eterna Forest. He passed the green fortress, continuing onto a rickety wooden bridge, the wind combing through the hair underneath his helmet shakily and brushing against his handsome face. Perhaps it wasn't such an idea to use his bike, but still.

He passed the rocky walls of the city, and was met with the serene quiet of Eterna City. He grinned, skidding to a stop, hopping off his bike and folding it into his Sinnoh styled bag, before tugging the bag on his slender shoulders again. He continued towards the familiar Pokemon Centre.

Tomorrow May would come back here, but by then, Drew would be in Oreburgh, no matter how unpleasant it was. He was going to pamper himself in Hearthome.

* * *

May threw a freshly made poffin into the air, and no sooner than she did, her Piplup whizzed into the air, opening his beak as he caught the poffin. She giggled softly in approval.

"So, let us try Whirlpool again!" May exclaimed, as the Penguin pokemon glowed, creating a decent Whirlpool. She was assured that Piplup had learned it well.

"Now, spin it around the field!" she commanded. The two of them were in a field of beautiful flowers. The Whirlpool span over head, sprinkling water down on the plants.

"Now, peck!" she ordered as Piplup collided with the water, showering it all down. Piplup continued upwards, in a sort of makeshift Aqua Jet. When Piplup landed on the ground May gave him a poffin.

"Now let us try our Water Disk move!" she suggested. Sure enough Piplup created miniature Whirlpools and sent them in all directions.

"Jump on one!" she exclaimed, as Piplup jumped up onto a Whirlpool gracefully, spinning around.

"To stop being dizzy, you should watch one spot and quickly turn around if you are not facing it." May advised, and Piplup did so, balancing on one leg like a ballerina.

"Now quickly leap from Whirlpool to Whirlpool while using Bubblebeam!" she cried, as Piplup spun and lept while bubbles appeared from Piplup's beak.

"Now spin while using Bide!" May commanded, as Piplup spun unto the center Whirlpool, and everything else seemed to spin towards Piplup as he glowed.

"Release!" May said, before the attacks could be absorbed, though distorted. The water went outwards though, sparkling over the flowers.

"Excellent combination!" May praised as Piplup jumped into her arms. May threw the rest of the poffins into the air. Piplup jumped up and snatched them up.

She smiled.

* * *

May felt like they had gone back and forth from Floaroma Town and Eterna City, even if they had only been to Eterna City once and Floaroma Town twice; when she had come to Sinnoh before, she had taken a ship straight to Snowpoint City.

But they were indeed on the familiar rocky route once more. Brendan was very determined now. He was silent the whole time, while May and Wally chatted about old times and about the Relic Badge.

Wally's attention was averted when they reached the towering Eterna Forest, leaving the Trio in silence, which kept while they walked across the boardwalk-like bridge, towards the walled city. The Eterna Gym stood out, and yet blended in, with its cloak of leaves and the fact it had no ceiling.

* * *

Drew watched them as they entered the city, and tipped his helmet lower. He turned back towards his destination, and without further ado whizzed off on Cycling Road. He artfully dodged all trainers that had urges to battle him, and before he knew it, he was at the base of Mt. Coronet. He continued, jumping over a pit, and entering Oreburgh.

"Wow, they were not kidding…" he muttered at the rocky city.

* * *

May walked through the trees clustering the moss covered stadium as she waited for Gardenia to finish her conversation about green pokemon with Wally as they sat on the grassy ground. They were both enthusiastic about the subject clearly. Brendan was muttering strategies under his breath, far away enough for Gardenia not to overhear as he stared at the trees, though on the opposite side to May.

"Okay Brendan!" she exclaimed suddenly, standing up at once, surprising Brendan as he turned around, straightening his white hat that did a small jump when she spoke.

"Very well." Brendan said, getting to his position as Wally and May sat on the wooden benches around the trees. Gardenia looked as determined as ever. Brendan was ready, as the rules were explained again.

"Cherrim, I choose you!" Gardenia exclaimed, deciding to mess around with the order.

"Chimchar, show 'em justice!" Brendan replied, hoping Chimchar's Flamethrower was all right.

"Flamethrower!" Brendan exclaimed, as the flames roared from Chimchar's mouth and headed towards the flowery pokemon, easily seeable through the trees blocking May and Wally's view.

"Dodge then Solar Beam." Gardenia replied simply as Cherrim dodged gracefully then sent a ray of light back at the chimp pokemon.

"Ember!" Brendan countered, as pellets of fire rained down on Cherrim after Chimchar dodged the light automatically. Cherrim dodged the pellets delicately, though one hit its flower and the rest followed onto the same part of its head, sending it tumbling down onto the ground.

"Flamewheel then Scratch!" Brendan continued, as Chimchar, still in the air came crashing down towards the ground in a ball of fire, scratching Cherrim with claws of fire, flinging the flowery pokemon back.

"Cherrim is unable to battle, Chimchar wins!"

"Torterra lets go!" Gardenia said. It was like the last time, but Brendan was ready to take the risks.

"Earthquake!" Gardenia said suddenly, as the ground beneath Chimchar shook violently, even Brendan wavered. Chimchar lost footing and collapsed onto the green grass, and tried to get back up once more, though the leg that he had collapsed on was clearly hurting. Brendan looked worriedly at the Chimp pokemon.

"Rock Climb!" Gardenia continued as the ground split showing grassless rock after Torterra's claws glowed and slammed the ground once more. The said rock grew higher underneath Torterra. "Then Withdraw and Giga Impact!"

There was now what seemed to be a mountain in the middle of the grassy field. Torterra withdrew into his large tree covered shell, before sliding down the rugged rock face slamming down on Chimchar directly with orange and purple surrounding him. Chimchar who had not recovered from his hurt leg could not move out of the way. The chimp pokemon landed at the feet of his trainer.

Brendan stared, as he returned his Chimchar. Now Brendan was even more determined.

"Aggron, show 'em justice!"

The large Iron Armor pokemon appeared, as the rocks rumbled down again. Torterra had recovered from the Giga Impact and was ready to fight.

"Double-Edge!" He commanded. With his Aggron's Stone Head, he wouldn't be damaged by the recoil. Aggron charged, followed by a streak of gold, slamming straight into Torterra.

"Iron Tail!" Brendan continued as Aggron sent Torterra flying. However Torterra survived the blow, and started glowing green, the sure sign of Overgrowth.

"Frenzy Plant!" Gardenia ordered, as huge thorny roots came from underneath to attack Aggron with might. One slammed into Aggron's back, sending him forward, before another one tangled his foot.

"Double-Edge once more!" Brendan commanded hastily as Aggron attempted to break free of the roots. The roots still held their grip however, as the thorns tried to piece Aggron's iron body. One new root sank into Aggron's arm.

Torterra had stopped panting, and it looked if he had recovered from the intense power of Frenzy Plant.

"Synthesis!" Gardenia exclaimed, as her Torterra glowed and healed himself. Brendan was getting worried, Agrron had very much taken his toll though his defense was high. May and Wally were also getting worried.

"Try a Hyper Beam!" Brendan said, as Aggron's mouth was free to move. The orange beam headed straight for Torterra.

"Withdraw!" Gardenia retaliated as the beam hit Torterra's shell as he withdrew into it. Brendan needed to step up his game; Gardenia was clearly not giving up easily. Torterra was glowing from Overgrowth though. Torterra came out of his shell and stared at Aggron.

"Fire Blast!" Brendan commanded, but Gardenia ordered another Withdraw.

"Hit it on its side with Iron Tail!" Brendan said quickly, as Torterra was uncomfortably forced out.

"Fire Blast again!" Brendan said, as Torterra was hit full on.

"Torterra is unable to battle, Aggron wins!"

May smiled. It seemed that Brendan would win the battle, but then again, who knows what Gardenia planned with Roserade. Roserade was faster and more agile than Aggron. She knew since Drew had one. Not only that, it was clear that the Frenzy Plant, strongest of all grass type moves had dealt Aggron quite a lot of damage.

"Roserade, it's time to shine!" Gardenia exclaimed as her Bouquet pokemon appeared, twirling around before crossing its arms over its chest.

"Aggron, Fire Blast!" Brendan exclaimed, not missing a beat. Gardenia smiled.

"Dodge it then Magical Leaf." She said simply as Roserade danced away from the flames easily before shooting glowing leaves from its Bouquets at Aggron, who tried to dodge to no avail.

"Grass Knot." She said, as Aggron tripped, on a knotted piece of grass, crashing down on the ground like the last battle.

"Now, Hyper Beam!" Gardenia exclaimed as the orange beam of light covered the fallen Aggron. When the light rippled away and the smoke cleared, it was clear that Aggron had fainted.

"Aggron is unable to battle, Roserade wins!"

"Shiftry, give it your best shot!" Brendan exclaimed as his Wicked Pokemon appeared.

"Leaf Storm!" he commanded, as a whirlwind of leaves was swept up and was sent towards Roserade who got hit, but as a fellow Grass type it did not hurt as much as it could. Roserade had not fully recovered from the Hyper Beam, but quickly did.

"Poison Sting!" Gardenia ordered, as the stings whirled through the air like purple rain, hitting Shiftry directly. It was super effective, though it did not appear against the Wicked Pokemon's wooden body.

"Continue with Petal Dance and Magical Leaf!" she continued as an attack that reminded May of Drew was sent towards Shiftry, blocking its view. The green leaves sliced into the wooden body, though did not do as much harm as it could.

"Hyper Beam!" Gardenia exclaimed. Shiftry survived the powerful attack, but barely.

"Silver Wind!" Brendan ordered, knocking Roserade from the sky easily with silver crescents from Shiftry's leafy limbs as Roserade had to rest.

"Flash!" he said, as the Battleground was filled with light. "Now Giga Impact!"

Roserade could not see Shiftry, until it was too late, and was hit by the Wicked Pokemon.

"Roserade is unable to battle; Shiftry wins which means the challenger Brendan wins the battle!"

Gardenia returned her Roserade before handing Brendan the Forest Badge. He grinned madly as he accepted it, before returning his Shiftry.

* * *

Time Skip of a few days

* * *

Two ribbons he had, one from the Jubilife Contest, and his second was newly snatched up from the Oreburgh Contest. He had won with his Turtwig and his Roserade. But now he really wanted to depart the stony walls of the miner city.

He walked calmly through the dusty tunnel through Mt. Coronet, wondering if his appeal was spick and span. It was, probably. Besides, the Hearthome Contest was not on for a week or so, so aspiring Coordinators could attend the Eterna and Oreburgh, even if he chose the latter only. He momentarily wondered if he was lost, before assuring himself he wasn't. The mountain was huge after all. It would be late in the afternoon or evening when he would manage to get to Heathrome. In a few days it would be the Eterna Contest. Drew would be watching May of course.

His legs grew weary as the tunnel went on; hours of time passed him, but at last a speck of light graced his face. He hurried along to the end of the stony tunnel. He knew in a few days May would be walking this path.

He glanced at the rushing water underneath a bunch of rickety bridges. Well it was a mountain, and there was snow up there, mostly in the north. He quickly made his way across the flimsy bridges, to be greeted with the greenery you would expect around a water source. He glanced up at the city ahead.

Hearthome City…


	13. Green without Drew

**A/N: It is the Eterna Contest, and don't worry, Drew makes an appearance despite being in Hearthome. The first word in the chapter is Drew even. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. Gah, boring.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Green without Drew**

Drew lounged in his comfortable couch, facing the TV in his luxuriously large room. On one side of him was Solidad and on the other side was Harley. HE He had found the friendly duo easily; or rather Harley had spotted him and yelled at him in his whiny girly voice. Solidad was with him, and was rather amused.

He decided that inviting the two of them into his vast hotel room was a bad decision. Well Solidad was fine; Harley was the annoying one, even though the two of them had been sleeping on the two comfy couches in the two room living room. The other room was of course his bedroom, though there was a bit of a kitchenette to the side of the living room. Of course the said room was dominated by a television, a widescreen for that matter. The hotel rooms were very modern and sometimes he forgot that he did not own the room. The hotel was called the Pokemon Hotel and to get a name like that, you needed to have the money.

Harley nudged him eagerly, pointing to the television in front of them. He had a bag of popcorn, like he was expecting it to be like a movie. Drew had rolled his eyes at that.

"The Contest is starting!" he exclaimed happily as Marian appeared. The battlefield was bordered by trees, well trimmed, miniatures of those bordering routes. The battlefield itself was painted a pale lime. The curtains were also painted green. Marian really stood out with her usual attire.

May clenched her dress within her hands. She was nervous. Except for Wally and Brendan who were in the audience, there was no one to assure her. She had been through this a lot, yet she had nerves to control. She did not think there was any contest where she did not meet other coordinators and became friends with them. She fumbled slightly as she opened her fanny pack reveal Drew's three roses. One stood out, showering her nose with Aromatherapy. The non-contest roses were plain, with their own faint scents. She was instantly calmed, just like if Drew was nearby. The young teenager was annoying, obnoxious and pompous, yet he seemed to turn around and be nice to her after awhile. It was like his heart was made out of Ice and it thawed every time he saw her. He had a mask of ice, cool and controlled.

"So let's go!"

Marian had at last finished her usual speech about contests, not that Drew minded. Solidad glanced over at the indifferent grass head that peeked out of his adamant armor like an insecure boy.

You would think Drew was insecure; it was a cliché; a stereotype. People like him were usually insecure in the inside of their fortress. But Drew was just learning how to actually have a chance of getting the girl his hormones had directed him to like a compass. There was no tragic past, nothing of the sort. Drew had a boring life, even if others would think otherwise. He was born to a rich family, gained a Budew as his first pokemon, became a successful coordinator and that was about it.

The purple haired young man squealed, making two pairs of eyes stare at him in annoyance. A few pieces of popcorn rolled onto the ground. He pointed to the television in shock. The two coordinators shifted their eyes to where the finger was pointing, a purple haired woman wearing a Cacnea styled dress, with yellow crown and all. It was Hayley. Drew remembered that he had faced her in the first Battle Round of the Jubilife City Contest. He had not really paid much attention the purple head, just that she was a coordinator with a Buneary. She was probably from Hoenn, as Hoenn was the place where they were native. She probably left her pokemon behind with someone and started afresh.

This was confirmed when she called out a Starly, while spinning and throwing the ball up into the sky. The Starly appeared surrounded by golden stars, which burst into sparkles, as the ball succumbed to gravity and landed in Hayley's outstretched other hand, while her right hand was still up from the throw.

A double team was ordered as six Starlys appeared around the stage, including the real one. They flew in to the center of the stage and flew in a circle, their right wings touching in the center, as they flew faster and faster, causing a bit of a tornado. She finished it with a Wing Attack as the wings glowed, diminishing as it went up and down the whirlwind. The real Starly appeared the center as she ended it.

Drew looked in amusement at Harley. Solidad had gotten up and gone over to Harley's side to calm him down and try to stabilize his bag of popcorn; Even if he was a good person now he still took a lost badly.

He turned his eyes back to the screen, as they watched the appeals from people they had never ever heard from before.

May placed the rose back in her Fanny Pack and zipped it up before taking Piplup's pokeball and standing up, patting down her dress. She walked along the corridor. Finally Marian told everyone her name and the green curtains rose to reveal her. She stepped out to the lime colored stage with her pokeball.

"Piplup, take the stage!" May said as usual. Piplup appeared surrounded by a golden star, which broke away into smaller ones that moved around the stage.

The other trio of friends watched her appeal eagerly. Harley was now perfectly fine. Drew watched as she sent out Piplup. To him it was the biggest coincidence that he had used his Turtwig in his appeal in the Oreburgh Contest.

"Use our Water Disc combo!" she said, to the puzzlement of those watching. It became apparent as Piplup shot small Whirlpools around the stage, not on the ground but hovering firmly in the air. Drew was impressed. They were slicing through the stars from the seal.

"Jump, Spin and Bubblebeam!" she continued as Piplup landed on a Whirlpool and started spinning from one whirlpool to the other while shooting bubbles all around.

"Flip then Peck!" she ordered as Piplup landed in the center Whirlpool upside down, and was pecking into the water, which spun Piplup around like it was a Drill Peck.

"Bide!" she said. As the other whirlpools became one around the center one.

"Now Release!" she finished as the water went outwards once more, covering the stage with blue sparkles and the bubbles from the Bubblebeam.

"Well that was certainly turning my head around!" the voice of Marian commented.

"That was a creative way to use Whirlpool." Mr. Contesta commented.

"That was remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo remarked.

"You did not just use attacks but mere movements into something truly creative!" Nurse Joy exclaimed.

"She did well." Drew said, flipping his hair.

"Well? That was amazing!" Solidad retorted. "I have never seen an appeal with Piplup like that before!"

"True, but all the other ones involved shooting bubbles in some way that crash together to form fireworks." Drew drawled, sinking back on the couch, snatched some pieces of popcorn from Harley's bag delicately, popped them in his mouth with a cool air, and did not mind the fact that Harley started to whine.

May sighed as she reclined into a comfortable green couch back in the waiting room. She opened her fanny pack with ease and brought Drew's rose to her nose in one swift motion. She sniffed at it, easing any doubts she had on her performance. She removed Piplup's ball capsule and removed the sticker-like seal from the transparent case. She glanced at her ribbon case to reassure herself. How many ribbons did Drew have? She was not sure. Maybe she would have an opportunity to skip ahead; did he visit any other town before Hearthome?

She sighed once more, before removing the case from her sight. She thought about Drew often; was it healthy to think so much about your rival? Always trying to stay one step ahead? May did care for Drew, she saw him as a friend as well as a rival, but was it better to be enemies with your rival?

A swoosh of red fabric brought May back to reality as she looked up at the twelve year old looming over her. It was Brianna, and her glaze was of dislike. She did not loathe May; she disliked her, like a rival for Drew's heart. May was not a rival for Drew's heart; merely May had already taken it without consent.

Brianna turned away from her as she marched down the corridor to the stage, her red hair swung from side to side.

"Next up, it's Brianna!"

Drew turned his head towards the screen after popping yet another piece of popcorn into his mouth. May had defeated Brianna in the Jubilife Contest, he recalled. Brianna was once again wearing her rose-like dress. Her red hair was tied back in a pony tail that hovered over her shoulders, and a rose was clearly seen tucked away in the pony tail.

"Let's go! Roselia!" Brianna said as her Roselia came surrounded by pink hearts that were obviously directed to someone who had a Roselia, or used to. Drew cringed, setting his mind back to snatching bits of popcorn from Harley. Solidad looked firmly at the screen.

"Roselia! Swords Dance and Magical Leaf!" she started. Roselia started dancing while punching her roses at the air. Sometimes magical leaves came out of her roses, to wander around the stage. It was an intriguing dance.

"Now, Poison Sting!" she exclaimed, pointing for effect. The purple stings flew in all directions like a fountain. When some hit the glowing leaves, they exploded in a burst of purple and green. Soon after, the stage was covered with the sparkles.

Drew raised his eyebrow; he found it a bit plain, even with the fireworks.

"Toxic Spikes!" she said, startling the green headed coordinator; he was under the impression that Brianna had finished her appeal. Purple spikes appeared in a circle outlining the stage as the sparkles began to settle.

"Now!" Brianna said. "Finish with Shadow Ball!"  
Roselia spun as she shot balls of shadow at the spikes, one at a time, stirring the sparkles once more in an explosion.

"You know Drew, she is better than you give credit for." Solidad said leaning over Harley slightly, at the half frown that was plastered on the young coordinator's face. He replied with a flick of his hair and without further ado, he grabbed some popcorn to Harley's protests.

May had to admit she had improved in the short time after she had seen the red head at the Jubilife Contest. She however, felt the transition between the first addition of sparkles and the toxic spikes was not smooth enough. She sighed; she was even thinking like Drew now. Her brain had to add the fact that Brianna's explosion was not as large as it could have been. It seemed like she spent too much time around Drew. She brought the rose to her nose once more, before she spotted Brianna coming back, towards her as well.

"Did Drew give you that?" she asked pointedly, as she stood there with her hands on her hips. She was not very menacing, and was quite nice, but she was jealous of May.

"Yes, he did, when I won the Floaroma Contest." May retorted at the red clad young teenager. She noticed the finer details of Brianna's dress. It had long sleeves and was not very revealing.

"You should have not won that one." Brianna hissed.

"I won it fair and square! Did you see how many points I led by?" May exclaimed angrily. Brianna's wide and happy eyes narrowed dangerously, before stalking off.

May calmed her nerves once more with the rose, ever dripping with the soothing scent of aromatherapy.

Drew tried to get away from the ranting Harley. They had nearly finished his bag of popcorn, and the appeals had not even finished yet. Drew could only glance at the screen before being promptly tackled by Harley demanding a refund.

"Don't you have some cookies, Harley?" Solidad suggested. Their purple headed friend lightened up and shoved a cookie into Solidad's hand from who knows where. He then offered one to the green haired teenager who declined it.

"Whenever I offer you something you never take it, but when I don't offer it you take it anyway." Harley whined. Drew smirked and looked back at the screen.

"Sorry about the wait, but the judges have now decided who will move into the battle round!"

May watched as the eight pictures flashed across the screen. She was one of the first people to be shown. Brianna was also shown however, and the said red head glared at the brunette.


	14. Eterna Rivals

**A/N: The Eterna City Contest continues into the battle round!**

**Kailey: any fights they will have are going to be minor ones, at least in the chapters I am up to (I'm up to Chapter 18.) Brianna is a major character in this fic. Because I have to have a rabid Drew fan.**

**Title is a bad pun on eternal rivals. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.**

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Chapter 14: Eterna Rivals.

"First up it's Hayley vs…"

Drew glanced over to Harley who was whining that Hayley had gone through again. He was itching to have a good contest battle, and the Hearthome Contest was not for two weeks now. Two whole weeks. Drew could stay for longer, but with Harley crashing his large hotel room…

He glanced back at the screen, as an explosion of beauty and power crashed into one pokemon. The board showed that Hayley was winning, earning more jeers from Harley. It was quite embarrassing for the young adult. Solidad sighed, deciding to surrender as she watched the battle in silence. Drew followed suit, and turned the noise louder with the remote, causing Harley to snap at him. He smirked that familiar smirk and turned down the volume again. Harley shut his mouth after that.

"And Hayley moves into the semi finals!"

May knew she was next, versing a coordinator she had never heard of. She hoped she would do well in the battle. She wanted that ribbon. She could not afford to have Drew get all his ribbons.

She was ushered from her seat and made her way to the stage, clutching Beautifly's pokeball.

"On this side we have May…"

Three heads jolted over to the television screen, as they watched May appear, in genie outfit and all. Soon she sent out her Beautifly. Her opponent sent out a Yanmega.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

"Yanmega, Sonicboom and Silver Wind!" the Yanmega trainer commanded, as Yanmega's wings and tail glowed, sending a sonicboom followed by silvery sparkles in a silvery wind. May's points went down as the crescent was sent towards her Beautifly.

"Beautifly, Gust!" she commanded, as the sparkly combination was brought to an abrupt ending. Beautifly flapped its wings sending the sparkles floating all over the stage. Her enemy coordinator's points went down.

"Silver Wind!" she called as Beautifly flapped its wings again, this time sending silvery glowing crescents through the already silvery mist. It shone through beautifully. Yanmega dodged most of them, but one hit Yanmega's wing, followed by a stronger one which sent it spinning rapidly, a clear vice of Speed Boost. May was winning at this stage.  
"Air Slash powered by a Sonicboom!" the Yanmega coordinator said, as a sphere of air was created above the spinning pokemon, before its tail glowed and sent the Air Slash flying rapidly, hitting Beautifly diagonally across its body. Yanmega had stopped spinning by now. May's points went down.

"Finish this off with a Steel Wing!" The Yanmega coordinator commanded, as Yanmega became increasingly fast, its wings glowing.

"Yanmega's Speed Boost is really showing out!"  
May realized that her enemy was smart, and was waiting for this chance.

"Aerial Ace!" she said quickly as her Beautifly did a loop de loop, avoiding the Steel Wing and hitting from the back, incased in silvery streaks. It was unavoidable, and was a good choice, considering the loop de loop.

"Get away and use Silver Wind!" The Yanmega trainer exclaimed, as more silvery crescents were shot across the stage. May knew in order to get her points up, she would have to try something different.

"Psychic the Silver Wind in a sphere around you!" she called out just before they hit Beautifly. It was a close one. The Silver Wind indeed flowed around Beautifly in a shiny sphere. You could see Beautifly's silhouette shining through.

"Now, your own one!" May exclaimed as Beautifly used Silver Wind as well. Using the shield of sparkles, Beautifly powered the attack to twice the normal power. Drew was impressed by May's quick thinking.

Drew glanced at the timer and the scores; the two coordinators were really getting into the fight. May was winning by a tad bit though. He had no doubts she would win. He felt proud even if he knew none of the pride was owed to him.

"This is your thirty second warning!"

"Cut through the Silver Wind with Steel Wing!"  
The Yanmega could be hardly seen as it cut through the sparkles ready to deliver a blow with its glowing wings.

"Time is up! And May will go onto the second round!"

Drew breathed out a breath he had not realized he had been holding, earning him a grin from Solidad. Drew blushed from embarrassment and turned away. Solidad sniggered before accepting a cookie from Harley. The Yanmega was forced to stop its attack and was returned by its trainer.

Drew glanced back at the screen. A familiar red head greeted his face. She had a Butterfree with her. So far she had demonstrated that she had a Roselia, a Masquerain, a Vibrava or Flygon and now a Butterfree. Brianna was one determined fan. Drew was not about to dismiss her new looks either.

Brianna was facing a female coordinator with a Bidoof. A confident smile was upon her face.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

"Butterfree, Silver Wind!" she ordered at once, as Butterfree fluttered its wings, silvery dust in the form of crescents showered down.

"Bidoof, Defense Curl!" the coordinator replied, as her Bidoof rolled into a ball, glowing ever so slightly around the edges. The silvery crescents burst into harmless sparkles around the plump mouse pokemon. Brianna's points lowered.

"Now, follow up with Roll Out and Super Fang!" the opponent said, as the rolled up Bidoof span faster and jumped into the air while its teeth glowed sparkling white.

"I must admit using Defense Curl and Roll Out was a good combination." Solidad commented.

"Dodge!" Brianna said, as her Butterfree flew upwards away from the spinning Bidoof.

"Shockwave." Her rival coordinator retaliated as the still spinning and airborne Bidoof glowed with electricity and shot the jolts of beautiful blue all over the stage, hitting Butterfree quite easily. Brianna was clearly losing.

Brianna was annoyed. She had clearly underestimated the Bidoof and its trainer. She knew that Drew was probably watching, and she did not want Drew to watch her lose. She tried to remain calm though.

The other coordinator's Bidoof landed on the ground smoothly and its owner was smirking, much nastier than Drew's though. The coordinator was waiting patiently for Brianna's response.

"Butterfree, Sleep Powder." She said calmly, as blue sparkles were flapped from Butterfree's wings. It was a wise decision, as Bidoof could not even hope to avoid the shower of blue. Brianna was slowly beginning to win, point by point.

"Now, Aerial Ace!" Brianna said, feeling more confident in her, as her Butterfree flew down and rammed into Bidoof.

"Bidoof, Shockwave!"  
"Butterfree, Psybeam!"

The blue collided with the pink and purple, crossing ways and creating what looked like an Aurora Beam.

"Aerial Ace again!" Brianna commanded, as Butterfree went through all the multicolored sparkles towards Bidoof, colliding once more.

Drew noted that Brianna was slowly creeping back, and was nearly in the lead. He also realized he was more worried about the battle than May's, to his horror. Was it because Brianna was closer to losing while May was clearly going to win?

"This is your thirty second warning!"  
"Psybeam!" Brianna commanded as the Bidoof got sent backwards.

"Time is up! Brianna will now go onto the semifinals."

Drew begrudgingly accepted a cookie from Harley, before watching the last battle. There was no one he knew in the battle, so he was laid back and rather bored. The first semi final battle would be between that Hayley girl Harley so despised and May. Brianna would verse whoever won the battle they were watching just this second.

Five minutes later the cheers of the audience indicated that the battle was done and won. He did not care.

Five more minutes and Harley started squealing and dropped his cookie as a purple headed girl was shown on the screen. Solidad snatched it up automatically and handed it back.

"She did make it to the semi finals, Harley." Drew said with a roll of his eyes.

"Well we can only hope that May defeats her." Solidad said, comforting Harley.

"On this side we have Hayley, and on this side we have May!" Marian introduced.

"Cacnea, go!" Hayley said, holding the pokeball in her left hand. It rolled along her left arm and onto her right arm without it falling off. From her right hand it launched into the air, showing Cacturne's pre-evolution with an Ele-Seal. Multiple bolts of lightning were shot onto the ground.

"Beautifly, take the stage!" May exclaimed, as she did her usual pose. A large pink heart came out of her pokeball which burst into pink sparkles as Beautifly appeared from inside.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

"Cacnea, Pin Missile!" Hayley exclaimed, as glowing arrows shot from Cacnea's thorns towards Beautifly.

"Beautifly, Silver Wind!" May exclaimed, as Beautifly cut the arrow-like thorns in white light. The two attacks exploded.

"Aerial Ace!" May followed up with, as Beautifly tried to locate the Cacnea with the unavoidable attack through the light. Finally Cacnea was located, but most of the light was gone anyway.

"Intercept with Needle Arm!" Hayley exclaimed, as Cacnea's needles grew longer. Beautifly collided with the needle covered arm and was knocked back.

"May is losing!" Harley wailed in despair.

"Now, again!" Hayley repeated as Cacnea swung its other arm at Beautifly.

"Stop it with Stringshot!" May exclaimed quickly, as Beautifly shot string at the arm, stopping Cacnea in his tracks.

"Now, send it back! Aided with Psychic!" May exclaimed as Cacnea got flung back. The usually flimsy string was strengthened by Psychic. Many times had other coordinators used Psychic against her Stringshot. Not this time however. Hayley's points lowered.

"Cacnea! Bullet Seed!" Hayley exclaimed, as the bullet shaped seeds were shot at Beautifly to no avail.

"Follow up with Pin Missile!" the purple headed coordinator exclaimed, as arrows intermixed with the glowing seeds.

"Quick, Whirlwind!" May retaliated quickly, speaking out the first attack that came to mind. It worked; a mix of white and gold mixed into the winds.

"Send it back with Silver Wind!" she said confidently. She had been slightly flustered. The Bullet Seed and Pin Missile was sent back with the silver crescents and the wind helped them move along.

"Sandstorm!" Hayley replied confidently and smug. Cacnea spun its arms around as a tornado of sand was conjured up, and collided smoothly with the Whirlwind. Both attacks dissolved. Hayley was winning, and May was getting more nervous. She had to calm down. There was a probability of Drew watching right? If she lost he would tease her for the rest of eternity. They were Eternal Rivals after all, though they were friendly rivals. Drew made her so angry sometimes.

"Drain Punch!" Hayley said, snapping May out of thoughts to retaliate. Cacnea's fist was glowing with green and yellow light as it headed towards Beautifly.

"Fly and Signal Beam!" May exclaimed, as Beautifly flew higher into the air before a multicolored surrounded Beautifly and was shot in the form of a beam at Cacnea. It was truly a beautiful attack that got May in the lead. Cacnea was hit directly, and tumbled over, as the explosion of lights rebounded. The spectrum was leaning towards yellow and pastel colors, just like Aurora Beam was headed towards blue, and Psybeam was towards pink and purple.

"This is your thirty second warning!"

"Bullet Seed!" Hayley exclaimed, as pellets of light were shot towards the Butterfly pokemon from Cacnea's mouth.

"Silver Wind!" May retaliated, as Beautifly flapped its wings, sending silver scales towards the bullets.

"Sandstorm!" Hayley exclaimed, as Cacnea whipped up a storm, and prepared to send it towards Beautifly.

"Time is up! May will proceed to the finals!"

"Yes! May defeated that Hayley girl!" Harley said with a cheer; even his hands were up in the air. Drew glared at him, and Solidad said nothing.

"On this side it's Brianna, and on this side its…"  
"Well the next battle is certainly on its way!" Harley said in his usual high voice. He was clearly happy.

Drew sighed as he sunk into the couch, daydreaming; thinking. That time in Eterna was no coincidence; he really had gone to the Old Chateau and found Gardenia. However, he had been waiting for her at Floaroma Town, the time they had passed it. He was becoming obsessive and because of Brendan he could not go near May. She was the untouchable to him, without even knowing. He would rather have Ash with May than Brendan. Ash was a dense teenager who would not see love, even if it was thrust in his face in a shape of a Valentines Day Card, shaped like a love heart.

He blinked and glanced over at the screen. Brianna's Butterfree was going up against a Bellossom. The Bellossom had leaped up, and its arms were glowing to perform Leaf Blade. Butterfree retaliated with a Psybeam which pushed Bellossom away. Drew noticed that the battle had already been going for a few minutes. Brianna was easily winning.

He sighed and turned his sight from the screen once more. Harley was too joyous, though Solidad was worried for their younger friend. Drew momentarily glanced back to the screen to see the Bellossom trapped inside a Whirlwind, before turning away again.

"And the time is up! Brianna will be progressing to the finals! Our final battle will be between May and Brianna!"

When Brianna came back, she had a massive smirk on her face as she headed towards May. Brianna was determined to prove Drew she was worthy of him. The only problem was that Brianna had not won a single Sinnoh ribbon yet. She had watched the Oreburgh Contest, and knew that Drew now had two ribbons in total. May already had one, so wouldn't Brianna be worthy of the prize?

Brianna was not a bully; she was just a determined rival for May. May was one year older than Brianna.

"Final battle May." Brianna said curtly, before moving back towards the stage. May stood up and followed.

"On this side, it's May! And on this side is Brianna!"

"Beautifly, take the stage!" May called as she threw the pokeball. Beautifly appeared in a bunch of hearts.

"Butterfree! Go!" Brianna exclaimed as her pokeball revealed a bunch of flower petals. Butterfree flew in the center.

"Five minutes on the clock so let's go!"

"Butterfree, Psybeam!" Brianna exclaimed, thinking of the first move that Butterfree knew and Beautifly didn't.

"Counter with Signal Beam." May replied, as rainbow tinted pink and yellow intermixed in midair between the two Butterfly Pokemon. The light reflected against everything; a truly beautiful combination. It was not time to croon over those small things however.

"Use the multicolored light to charge up a Solarbeam!" May suggested, hoping it worked. It did to great effect. The light shot through all the rainbow sparkles, hitting Butterfree. "Now follow up with Aerial Ace!"  
Brianna became more nervous. One year was a lot in the world of coordinating. One year, one Grand Festival. And May had one year more experience.

Butterfree was hit the second time, tumbling over through the misty glow. Brianna tried to avoid glancing at the board where her doom lay.

"Defog quickly!" Brianna said. It was not a contest move but it helped. With clean cutting strokes of Butterfree's wings, the mist was cleared and the two Butterfly Pokemon glared at each other.

"Silver Wind!"May cried after what felt like a life time. Her Beautifly flapped its wings to form silver waves of wind, and were sent at the Butterfree.

"Counter with Air Cutter!" Brianna said, as a few blades of wind slashed towards and through the silvery dust from Butterfree's wings. The two Butterfly Pokemon were well matched, though Beautifly had more experience.

"Swift!" May exclaimed, as Beautifly's wings glowed and shot out magical golden stars. Some hit into the Air Cutter, but others flew on, crashing into Butterfree. May was currently in the lead.

"Twister than Psybeam!" Brianna retaliated as a white tornado was aimed towards Beautifly, before a beam of Pink came through the tunnel, hitting Beautifly again. Brianna had come back.

"Now, Aerial Ace!" Brianna said, this time in a confident tone, as Butterfree slammed into the falling Beautifly.

"Now, finish this off with Air Cutter!" Brianna said, with a new thirst for defeating May. Blades of wind slashed at the falling Butterfly Pokemon.

"Beautifly is unable to battle, so the winner of the Eterna Contest this year is Brianna!"

Drew sat there shocked; Brianna's determination was something else.

May returned her Beautifly, and left the stage while Brianna accepted her ribbon. There was always a next time. But at Heathrome City she would hear the sneers of Drew.

May and Brianna both had one ribbon. May was more determined to make the Hearthome Ribbon hers.

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**Did you think that Brianna would have won, huh? As I said before, Brianna is not a mere character-of-the-day like in the Anime. **


	15. Comin' round the mountain

**A/N: Sorry about not posting in a while, but real live and writers block got the better of me.**

**Disclaimer: As of now, i only own a 15 chaptered story and a spot in the 40,000 + option. I do not own this universe and any of the characters.**

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Chapter 15: Comin' round the Mountain.

"There is always a next time." Brendan comforted his brunette friend. May grinned happily at him, causing Brendan to turn and shield his blush. She was always optimistic about things like that. It fueled her desire to try again; to get right up on her feet once more.

"I wish I had that ribbon. It is green." Wally said dreamily.

"Race you down there!" May exclaimed as she rode onto the Cycling Road. Brendan and Wally followed in hot pursuit. A trainer rode past her, and threw a pokeball in an effort to battle her. Brendan rode past the pokeball, as he started to overtake her.

"Oh no you don't!" May cried, as she went faster, as she had switched the gears, meaning she became very fast. Brendan had no idea how she could have gone so fast, as they were all on the same slow gear. Finally he discovered the other gear and switched to it, not before Wally had passed him.

By the time he had gotten to the end of the Road, both May and Wally were waiting for him. Both bore wide grins on their faces. He knew how to wipe their grins off, and his own for that matter.

"Mount Coronet is a huge mountain." Brendan started.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." May cut in with a grin.

"I think we should stay in Oreburgh until tomorrow morning. If we head off now, we will be walking in the night." Brendan explained.

"Is there any difference? We will be in a dark cave with no green around!" Wally protested. Brendan blinked. May nodded in agreement.

"We should make use of this time." May stated firmly. Brendan finally had to agree, though first the checked that they had enough food to keep on going. Brendan was a decent poke-stylist and also a cook, not to mention excellent trainer. Just don't say it to much; it could boost his ego to the size of Drew's.

In the end, they decided to set camp near the forest-covered base until it was later, because they needed to rest up for their midnight 'stroll'. Brendan made stew which May complimented, comparing it to the stew of the twenty year old Brock's. Brendan considered it high praise.

After shouldering their bike-filled bags later that evening, they started to venture into the southern cavern of the mountain range. It took at least an hour to get a fine grip of the rocky tunnel, and help each other avoid falling back. May nearly did, but luckily she landed on another ledge. Brendan grasped her hand too. He did not notice the fact he was still holding her hand until she pointed it out. He let go quickly.

May sent out her Beautifly, who knew Flash, so she could light up the darkening cave. The trio also let out their Sinnoh Starters so they could have some fresh air. Well air fresher from the air in the pokeballs. Piplup stayed strong and brave, while Turtwig was a bit timid. Chimchar was trying to learn Flash from Brendan. His flame grew larger and brighter, though it was all he could do. Chimchar tried again, but stepped in a puddle of water suddenly, falling to the ground. Splashes echoed through the tunnel momentarily before dry ground was felt beneath their slight soggy shoes.

"You do know that Chimchar cannot learn Flash right?" May asked. Brendan smacked his head.

"Right, Turtwig is the one who can." Brendan realized.

"That's right!" Wally exclaimed happily. "All grass-type starters can learn Flash. Also, all grass-type starters are green!"

"Indeed." May said, as she glanced around at the spots lit up by Beautifly's light. Turtwig attempted to glow with Flash though he too was unsuccessful. Piplup used Bide with happiness and pride, though he stopped quickly.

"It would be better if Turtwig was affected by sunlight while starting to learn it." Brendan pointed out as Turtwig attempted again. Instead, Turtwig produced a multiple pellets of light from his mouth.

"Turtwig learned Bullet Seed!" May exclaimed happily while Piplup and Chimchar came over to congratulate the Tiny Leaf Pokemon. Beautifly flew down as well.

"All three starters have learned an attack. Piplup learned Whirlpool, Chimchar learned Flamethrower and Turtwig learned Bullet Seed!" May said cheerfully, clasping her hands together. Brendan agreed, but nearly slipped into another puddle of water. The sudden movements made a couple of Zubats fly around irritably. Turtwig used his new learned attack to shoot one down. However the bullet seed produced was a rather weak one. He then used Razor Leaf, and was successful in bringing it down. The other one flew away into the darkness.

Wally beamed at his turtle-like pokemon, before falling into a puddle.

"Gah, I have an idea. Dearest Green Turtwig, absorb the water!" Wally exclaimed. Grass was super effective against water for that reason. Soon a green light cloaked the puddle and absorbed it. The light retreated back into Turtwig.

"That's much better." Brendan praised as he stepped onto the damp rock where the puddle was. He glanced at his Poketch, turning on its light. They had been in the tunnel for two hours already and had spent an hour climbing the rocky surface to the tunnel in the first place. That was a total of three hours already. The long journey was uneventful so far, except for Turtwig learning Bullet Seed.

Brendan carelessly walked into a puddle. Or what looked like a puddle for that matter. He was quickly sinking, and his arms were flailing about in the rocky pond. Water splashed about, and the rocky ground quickly became wet. Brendan was thoroughly soaked. He grasped his belt quickly; though the movements of his hand going to the side made him sink a bit lower into the depths.

"Quick, Swampert, Surf!" He commanded hurriedly before he went under. Swampert appeared in a red light underneath Brendan, quickly bringing him to the surface. He attempted to return Swampert, but the pokeball was in the water. Swampert quickly dove under to get his own pokeball back. Brendan then sighed and returned his faithful starter.

"I think we should rest for a while, while Brendan dries off a bit." May suggested, and the two males agreed, sitting down on the smoothest rocks beside the outcrop of rock near them. They lay Brendan on a flat rock while Turtwig attempted to absorb the water. Piplup tried to help with his Bide. After they did what they could, Turtwig used Razor Leaf. Chimchar then hit the rapidly moving leaves with Ember to create a pile of warm fire there in their makeshift camp. However, the flames quickly went out.

"Blaziken, go!" May exclaimed, as her starter pokemon in turn came out. It leaned against the large rock waiting for orders.

"Light your wrists and put them near Brendan, but do not set him on fire!" May commanded, and Blaziken nodded curtly, as flames circled its wrists suddenly and sharply. Blaziken sat on a rock close to Brendan. Turtwig absorbed some more before he decided that Blaziken could finish the job.

Finally, Brendan was dry and attempted to get up with success. Blaziken moved away and was returned.

He scowled as he looked at his watch; it took them half an hour for him to get try. He then checked the map; they were not even half way there.

"Let us just rest up." Brendan growled as he rinsed out the residue water from his soggy hat. His companions agreed; they needed rest.

Half an hour later they started walking again. Brendan did not trust one puddle. Piplup offered to test out every puddle. Twice or more times he went into a pond, diving and turning smoothly. He checked the depths and came back afterwards; they were quite deep sometimes. Swampert and Blaziken were out of their pokeballs for the rest of the trip. Sceptile joined soon after, absorbing a lot of water and mentoring Turtwig. Several times did they encounter wild pokemon. The three tall Hoenn starters tended to deal with them, though they allowed the Sinnoh starters to have their fair share.

Sceptile half-leaped, half-ran through a puddle, which proved to be a pond. He dove in. Everyone above in the tunnel was worried. A short while later, Sceptile came back up, uppercutting with a Leaf Blade against a Gyarados. The Gyarados counter with an orange beam, a Hyper Beam, slamming Sceptile against a rocky wall. Swampert jumped to Sceptile's rescue, performing a Hammer Arm. However, before the Hammer Arm could hit, Gyarados used Ice Fang. Icy lightning-bolt-like bursts of light erupted from Gyarados' fangs, hitting straight on.

"Woah, that is one huge and powerful Gyarados." Brendan said in awe as the Atrocious Pokemon rose to the high ceiling of the area of tunnel they were in. Blaziken jumped up high, avoiding a Hydro Pump with ease. Blaziken's foot burst into flames as it connected with Gyarados' head. Before anymore damage could be dealt, Gyarados' used another Hyper Beam, hitting directly.

The three Sinnoh starters attempted to fight. Piplup used Whirlpool, Chimchar used Flamethrower and Turtwig used his newly obtained Bullet Seed. Gyarados used Thunderbolt against the Whirlpool, destroying it. A Water pulse dealt with Chimchar's Flamethrower and a Flamethrower was returned, but to counter Turtwig's slowly getting stronger Bullet Seed. The three Sinnoh starters had not gone so close to Gyarados so they did not faint. In fact they were not hit.

"I think it is time to finish this. Aggron, Thunder!" Brendan said, throwing another pokeball. His Aggron appeared, shooting lightning towards the Atrocious Pokemon. The water the Gyarados was hit, though it sent the electricity through to Gyarados who retreated into the depths of the not-so-shallow pool. The Gyarados had not fainted.

The three Hoenn starters had recovered from the battle. Swampert and Blaziken were glaring at Sceptile, since he had started it all. Brendan returned Aggron.

"Well look on the bright side. We all gained another experience!" Brendan said happily. Swampert and Blaziken glared at him. He then started to move around the pool. It was quite a large space, like a cavern. Everyone started to follow him. He glanced at his watch. Four Hours and half an hour had passed since they arrived. He had been hoping that they made it there quicker, to no avail.

They left the pool and its Gyarados far behind. Beautifly still led the way. The rest of the journey was relatively boring, and after that encounter, they would not have it any other way.

Except to go a bit faster of course.

Another few hours passed, and Brendan saw that it was early in the morning. They agreed to rest a bit before finishing the lengthy journey. Brendan leaned against a rock and fell asleep quickly. May giggled. She and Wally stayed awake. Half an hour later, Brendan woke up sleepily and they continued. Brendan checked his watch and noticed that they were now close to the end. But since the map was small enough to fit into his Poketch, he was not inclined to believe that one step could cross the whole of Sinnoh.

Finally after a while they reached the other side of the mountain. Water ran down from a waterfall below as they walked across the bridges groggily. The bridges shook a bit as they went on them, though it did it not as much as they thought it would. Light had started to come through the trees. There was ample for them to see everything. Soon enough they met green grass, and Wally landed purposely into the grass, which was not tall enough to house wild pokemon. Nearby there was though. Not waiting to go to the pokemon center at such an early time they followed suit and quickly buried themselves in their sleeping bags on the grass. All pokemon were returned except for Beautifly who watched, though it was now sitting on a rock after such a long time flying.

A few hours later, a green haired coordinator glanced at the three figures in their sleeping bags near the base of Mt. Coronet and noticed a familiar brunette sleeping peacefully before noticing her Butterfly Pokemon. He offered a rose to the Beautifly, who accepted by unrolling its long proboscis and rolling it up again. A rare smile graced his face as he left.


	16. To Hearthome with love!

**A/N: It seems that no one is reading this story anymore. Come on! Speak up! I can only improve this story if I have the advice of my readers! **

**I might start a new story called 'When Life Gives you Roses' it is a High School Fic. With MANY MANY MANY shippings literally. People seem to like High School fics, but mine is not just Contest, Poke and Ikari. It includes ColdCoffee for instance and other random shippings. It might not turn out to be Poke and Ikari. I mean, i never really got Ikari, and even if i support Poke, Misty deserves better.**

**The names will be in Japanese because i want it. For example, Drew will be Shuu and May will be Haruka.**

**Anyway, the gang have of course arrived in Hearthome. Just to tell you. Amity Square is not only for certain Pokemon. You can walk any Pokemon you like.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. All i own is a sixteen chaptered stories in the 40,000+ section with only twenty reviews. That really does not make sense. Well it does, but you know.**

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Chapter 16: To Hearthome with love!

May drowsily peered closer to her resting Beautifly, carefully dodging the fragments of tall grass, who was perched upon a rock. The brunette swore she saw a flash of red for a split second. She yawned, glancing over to the two boys who had not finished rolling up their sleeping bags. May realized that the red was a rose.

"So Drew's roses were really for Beautifly. Seems farfetched but I guess it is true." She muttered to herself. None of the boys heard her. For a few minutes she merely listened to the sound of water pouring down the nearby waterfall. It was pretty peaceful place, and she could only hope that Hearthome City would be the same. The boys finally finished rolling up their sleeping bags into their bags. May started to walk out of the clearing. The boys followed.

"What are we going to do May? There is at least a week till the contest and I doubt we will spend all that time doing Gym Battles." Brendan asked as they headed towards the city of Hearthome, which was a few steps away. They decided to have their Breakfast in the Pokemon Center. Beautifly still flew over head joyously.

"The Hearthome Collection is coming up; you could enter!" May exclaimed as they entered the glass sliding doors and presented their pokeballs to Nurse Joy who returned them seconds later after they had been healed. Brendan brightened up while they ordered their food. The day changed every year, and this years was coming earlier than the last time. Dawn had won it apparently.

"We can see if the crowd enjoys my creations!" Brendan cried happily. "I will have to go with Chimchar, all my other pokemon are massive."

"Heh, well you are a trainer at heart." May said simply as their breakfast arrived. They ate their breakfast peacefully. Speech flitted around occasionally. Brendan was grinning the whole way through.

"So are you participating?" He inquired the brunette. She replied with a simple nod.

"I am doing it with Blaziken because it can show off the outfit with its powerful legs." May chose. Brendan agreed. He did not have much choice himself.

"I am not doing it. The sight of so many non-green Pokemon is unbearable." Wally complained.  
They quickly finished their meal, and soon obtained a room. They soon collapsed in their beds. Brendan already started on designing as he fished a notebook and a pencil from his bag. Beautifly perched on a bed post. May started daydreaming about the outfits. Poke-Stylists often if not always showed off their pokemon in the same manner a coordinator would. She had an advantage, and besides she already had a good idea. She glanced over towards the snowy headed Brendan. Already, sheets of paper littered his bed. As she watched, another page was ripped out. He examined the sheet at the same time. He frowned a bit. He picked a sheet up and scrunched it up, followed by a few others. He started scribbling again. May grinned at the determined trainer.

Finally put down his pencil and jumped off the bed happily.

"Okay, let us go and challenge Fantina!" he cried as he left the room. May and Wally glanced at each other before slipping off their beds to join the black haired teenager. Beautifly flew after them.

May and Wally ran after their relatively famous friend and for a few seconds Wally was fearing that his illness would come back. With his design for the Hearthome Collection down pat, and a battle to win, why would he not be happy? Beautifly flew faster; catching up to the young Birch who paused at a sheet of paper stuck to the magnificent golden doors. He read it quickly as Beautifly landed on his head. He also glanced at the large sign stating 'Closed' above it.

"What? Fantina is not here?" Brendan exclaimed loudly, attracting the unwanted attention of passersbys. Beautifly flew away from him hurriedly and landed on its own owner who had arrived at the Gym. May recalled that the same thing happened when Ash challenged the gym. Fantina was a coordinator, and usually entered them with her Mismagius or Drifblim. A painted Drifblim sat on top of the quaint building before them. Unlike the Eterna Gym which stood out a mile, the Hearthome Gym was easily missed. With its cream colored walls, the many windows could prove to be one of the few giveaways, besides the Drifblim. Inside it was a different story, but that was beside the point.

"Maybe we should explore the city. It is quite a large and wonderful place. It is considered THE place to live in Sinnoh after all." May suggested, breaking the silence. Brendan nodded.

"At least I have more time to work up a strategy." Brendan pointed out to himself, as he grasped Chimchar's pokeball and sent him out. Chimchar glanced around the city in amazement. Two lights appeared next to the Chimp Pokemon, revealing Piplup and Turtwig.

"Come on Piplup, let's explore the city!" May exclaimed as Beautifly flew off her head down towards Piplup. They looked around the city, wondering what was there to do. They had plenty of time to work out their double performance also.

May ran off, leaving the two boys to smile at her cheerful ways. She always saw the bright side. She was not overconfident like Dawn, always assuming she would win, but she always assured herself that whatever the outcome she would continue on her contest journey.

"Look, the Contest Hall is massive!" she exclaimed, pointing it out to her two enthusiastic pokemon as they walked along the modern streets. The city was both modern and traditional at the same time. Fountains and small trees lined every street in an interesting way. Piplup and Beautifly's eyes sparkled with delight at the stadium they were to enter two or one weeks from that day. May brushed her hand against a fountain, feeling the light and refreshing sprinkle of water. She looked around at the well crafted city, and noticed something.

She ran towards an opening in the houses, to find a square. A place called Amity Square. She eagerly entered it to find a small park like place. Rows of bushes adorned with flowers were dotted everywhere. The centerpiece to the place was a large pond with an island shaped somewhat like Sinnoh in the middle.

She breathed in the soothing air. The scents were subtle and refreshing; quite a difference from the thousands of flowers in Floaroma Town. They decided to go on the boardwalk to the Sinnoh-look-alike Island. She traced the towns and cities with her feet while Piplup hopped around. May giggled, looking at the imitation mountain range of a rock in the center of the island. It was tall as May's waist. They climbed it easily; Beautifly flew of course, and looked around at the Square. She sat down on the brown stone and glanced around at the trainers and their pokemon. Amity Square was a place where people loved to take their pokemon for walks. Peaceful yet modern lifestyle indeed.

She watched as a trainer sent their Finneon into the water around the island. It swam around happily. Nearby a Drifloon drifted peacefully, half-chased by its owner.

"Isn't this a good place to train for our up coming contest?" She asked as she slid off the rock and headed towards the bush filled area. The smell was indeed pleasant. Beautifly flitted around the bushes, but could not take another flower because Drew's rose was still held by the Butterfly Pokemon.

"Roserade, Sweet Scent! Absol, Razor Wind!" a voice cried out. The pink sweet smelling mist drifted over the bushes, cloaking them wonderfully. May peeked over to the area behind the bushes. A green haired trainer was commanding his two pokemon. He looked up and smirked, just as his Disaster Pokemon shot a crescent shaped white light through the pink. Of course the slash itself was tainted with pink. The effect was amazing, as rainbow sparkles shone where the Razor Wind had hit.

"Roserade, Magical Leaf. Absol, Shadow Claw." He continued as glowing green leaves came out of the Bouquet Pokemon's Bouquets, cutting through the rainbow-ish pink mist. The leaves really stood out because of the opposing colors. Absol leapt, his two front paws were coated in shadows which lengthened into large claws which sliced at the Magical Leaves, distorting the rainbow tainted pink mist further, adding green sparkles to the mix.

"Now, Roserade, Sludge Bomb. Absol, Shockwave!' he finished as bombs of purple-ish sludge were fired into the rainbow mix, swirling it around in spirals around the sludge. Blue lightning hit the bombs through the mist, making purple and blue fireworks go off, opposing the pink mist more.

"Like it?" Drew drawled at his rival intruder. May was startled before nodded. He noticed that Beautifly still held onto his rose. He smirked before flicking his hair. He knew how to make his appeal better. A Water Pulse would do the trick and it would be refreshing against the rainbow sparkles. He admitted he did it a bit over. Stupid hormones. It had been proven that guys were reckless near girls that they wanted to impress after all. He remembered Absol's debut performance. He had become a nicer person, because of May.

"You were defeated by Brianna." Drew stated, making May furious. She obviously regretted the nod.

"Well excuse me! Beautifly did the best job it could!" she hissed, stamping her foot as Beautifly uncoiled its proboscis to hand back the rose.

"No, it was you, the trainer who could not see the flaws in Brianna's plan. The Pokemon is still the star of the show. That is why the roses are for Beautifly and not for you. You are not the Pokemon." Drew informed her, leaning against a bush and sent out two others, Masquerian and Turtwig. Turtwig greeted Piplup while Masquerian met up with Beautifly once more. May was fuming. Drew had to admit she looked cute when she was annoyed. He did not decline his feelings for her. She could having feelings for him and never know them. It was known that if two pokemon belonging to two trainers had feelings for each other, their trainers may hold the same feeling for each other two. He held Masquerian and Beautifly as his evidence.

May stuck out her tongue while pouting in the most adorable way.

"So how many ribbons do you have huh?" she asked. Drew smirked and May realized she should not have asked, as Drew took out his ribbon case and flicked it open to reveal his two ribbons. One from Jubilife, and one from Oreburgh.

"You seem to always be one step ahead of me!" she said in annoyance. Drew merely smirked as he closed his slim green ribbon case and put it away.

"So, do you have your appeal ready?" he asked after he put the ribbon case away. May shook her head.

"Thought so, a trainer like you leaves it to the last minute." Drew drawled lazily as he watched their pokemon interact. He extracted his last two pokeballs and sent out his Flygon and his Butterfree. His whole party was out now. May followed suit, sending out her three other pokemon.

"For the battle round I was thinking of a fire and water combo." May informed. "So Piplup and Blaziken will take that, leaving Beautifly, Glaceon and Venusaur as options for the appeal. I reckon I will use Glaceon in the appeals, though I have not yet decided on the other pokemon. I think I will use Beautifly this time."

"A fire and water combo is very risky." Drew reminded her, getting a bit more comfortable in her presence. May agreed with a nod. However, she did remember the epic battle she had with Dawn when she was in Sinnoh last. Well it was not very epic, seeing how it did not last long, but that was beside the point. May had already improvised some moves. Well, Water Disk from Whirlpool at least. She would also have a good chance of type advantage.

"If it doesn't work, I can always use Blaziken's fighting moves." She pointed out.

"I see, well thank you for the information." He joked in a non joking manner. May was fuming.

"I was joking." He stated in an emotionless way that made May think he was serious and not joking. How often did Drew joke? Drew turned to smirk at her expression, before returning his pokemon and ducking behind a rose bush out of sight. She sighed and returned all her pokemon too.

May wondered where her two male conpanions were. She walked out of Amity Square, and did not see Drew, where ever he went. Probably to the Pokemon Center. She decided that she needed a nice rest after her less than peaceful time in Amity Square. She backtracked to the foresty area around the tunnel in Mt. Coronet. She walked along the waterfall, careful not to fall into it. She was not the one with Swampert after all. Wartortle was back with her parents and Piplup did not know Surf. Besides, he was too small.

She closed her eyes as she listened the the sounds of wild Pokemon and the rushing water. A blue Shellos or two swam down stream, playfully bombarding the other with mud and water. She opened her sapphire eyes to look at the cute scene. Maybe she should capture one. She decided against it. Pokemon had feelings too, and if she captured one, then it's friend would be sad. Just like that time she nearly captured a Swublu. She did like cute Pokemon after all.

"It's evolving!" a familiar voice cried out, making May slightly annoyed. The Shellos had swam away already, so she turned towards the voice downstream. There were two boys and a glowing Pokemon was apparent, while a Shiftry stood near by. The light morphed into a Magnezone. May remembered the two telling her that Wally had an Altaria, a Delcatty and he now used to have a Magneton.

"We swapped it with his Roselia to evolve it." Brendan explained as the brunette ran downstream on the grass. She did not have Running Shoes like Brendan, but going downhill had some advantages. His Shiftry was returned in red light a few seconds after she arrived. Magnezone was also returned, and was scanned with Wally's green pokedex to see if Magnezone had learned any new attacks.

"Well now we are together again we should really start making our outfits huh?" Brendan asked. May agreed with a nod as they headed back to the Pokemon Center.


	17. Brendan brushes up on his skills

**A/N: Did you know that Dawn is in the finals of the Sinnoh Grand Festival with Zoey? The battle and winner will be shown on the 20****th**** of May. May never got into the finals and Dawn suddenly defeats her in the Wallace Cup and she is now in the finals? Another reason to hate Dawn.**

**This chapter is about the Hearthome Collection. I am aware that it happens later in the anime when they return to Hearthome for the second time, but what the heck!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, Dawn would not have a (spoiler)Togekiss nor would she be in the finals!**

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Chapter 17: Brendan brushes up his skills

May could really get used to living in Hearthome. It was a beautiful place after all. She and Brendan had spent quite some time every day to adjust their Collection Outfits. Wally was training with his Magnezone. May had never seen him so happy with a non green pokemon. Magnezone was also happy. Later, on the advice of Brendan, Wally replaced Flygon for his fellow dragon type Altaria. He cared for his pokemon, whether green or not. Brendan had encouraged him to change his party around to help him. Actually it was more because Brendan did not like to see Wally have the same pokemon in his party as Drew.

Selfish git.

She glanced over at Brendan, who was still busily scribbling in outfit designs. Every time Brendan had fished up a wonderful idea, they went out for exploring. When they returned, Brendan's perfectionist instincts made him realize that he needed something more. May had suggested something subtle that morning. Her two outfits was good to go already. She glanced out the window of their room at an idle green jet of dragonbreath that was rather different from Flygon's. She turned back to see Brendan's smiling face.

"Excellent idea May!" he exclaimed happily, as he jumped off the top bunk, landed with a thump, and proceeded to produce materials from his heavy bag. It was larger than Wally's, or the bag May used to store her bike and other objects, though it was smaller than Brocks. He peered at the different fabrics and began to debate on the pros and cons. May sweatdropped.

"The Collection is in two days!" she reminded him. He smiled weakly back at her before deciding on a suitable fabric. His other equipment took less time to fish out. Soon he got to work. He asked her to measure him, and she agreed to it. He recorded down the information, before sending out Chimchar who had already agreed to model Brendan's outfits. He measured his Chimp pokemon, before showing him the design. Chimchar agreed and Brendan got to work.

May was mesmerized by Brendan's handiwork. It seemed to be more of a girly job. Professor Birch's son was a trainer with an eye for power, even if he did these things. Hours passed. Wally entered the room and watched also. Finally Brendan had a design. His eyes brightened as he finished his design, before moving on to Chimchar's. It was considerably easier.

"Finally!" Brendan announced, holding up the outfits to massive cheers. May had sent out her Blaziken to examine their costumes again. Chimchar put on his outfit and posed. They were simple gloves and shoes that resembled the feet and hands of an Infernape. Trainers had dressed themselves as their pokemon, so Brendan was going for a twist. He grinned. It was going to be a hit. Chimchar punched the air smoothly. Blaziken lit up its hand and punched the air with a Fire Punch. Chimchar tried to mimic it to no success.

"You will learn it someday." Brendan assured his Chimp Pokemon as he removed the gloves and shoes and placed them delicately next to the bed. He packed up his stuff again. Tomorrow they would finalize their performances and the day after that, they would show the world what they were made out of.

"…Your judges for today are Paris and Hermione!" Enta continued to introduce, while May and Brendan stood backstage nervously.

"Contestant Number 1 is Cocoa!" Enta announced, as the curtains rose; just like a contest, except there were stairs down to the stage from the top. A tall blonde haired woman stood behind it, with a Mismagius trailing behind her. Cocoa was dressed as a Mismagius-themed witch with twists. Despite the jagged edged purple gloves and dress, her head was adorned with a silvery tiara. The centerpiece of the tiara was a stunning amethyst. The purple dress itself was long like a ball gown; the material in the front was pushed and pinned to the side while another amethyst was upon the silvery belt. Her Mismagius on the other hand wore a contrasting and light pink dress that trailed for miles. A cloak of pink silk was wrapped around Mismagius's dress. Mismagius hovered into the air above the stage.

"Mismagius, Shadow Ball." Cocoa commanded, as a ball of shadowy purple appeared over Mismagius. The shadows contrasted the sparkly pink marvelously. It soon broke into purple glitter, washing down the dress.

"That was an amazing outfit." Brendan said in awe softly as Cocoa and her Mismagius retreated, though he knew clearly that Cocoa was a rival, and a tough one that that, in the Collection. Many contestants came up and showed their outfits. Brendan was waiting patiently until the time he could go onstage with his Chimchar. However, May was called out first.

She adjusted Blaziken's clothes quickly and walked on stage.

May did not wear her bandana, letting her brunette hair unroll a tiny bit. She wore a pinkish red summer top that flowed downwards. Underneath the halter styled top, she wore red shorts that were not red enough to be dominating. Red sandals were on her feet. Blaziken seemed to oppose her. It seemed cool and collected yet the fire type was well, fiery. It wore simple red pants, a band wrapped around its forehead and a pair of wristbands, nothing fancy, but an air of confidence generated from the Blaze Pokemon. One hand was on its hip; the other by his side.

"Blaze Kick!" May ordered, as Blaziken jumped into the air. One foot caught on fire. A chain reaction happened. The flameproof pants were quickly lit up, passing the fire through the rest of the body in a beautiful whirl of flames, showing off Blaziken well. When the fire reached Blaziken's back, fire burst out in the form of wings, revealing the cape underneath Blaziken's white hair, made from the same material as the pants. Blaziken landed on one foot, to only bounce up again, showing off its legs and jumping power. It slashed upwards with Sky Uppercut before kicking upwards, above its head, resulting in a backwards summersault in the air as planned, momentarily lit up by a Flare Blitz which did no damage because there was no opponent. Blaziken then landed on the ground.

Paris and Hermione discussed the performance as May returned backstage. It had gone very well. Brendan congratulated her on her work; May was a true coordinator at heart.

Drew had to admit May's performance was excellent. He had, however, heard from Wally that Brendan had designed them. Yes the two green haired boys were getting on fine. They were sitting next to each other in fact. Solidad and Harley decided not to see the Collection. They decided to leave Drew alone for once and that once was when he was not in his hotel room. They were being teasing matchmakers but Harley should really open his eyes to Solidad's feelings, or else someone else, say Brock, might take her. Brock was a disturbing person to pair with Solidad, being the womanizer, but the two were from Pewter City right? However, it seemed obvious and clear that Harley was gay, though there was no one he liked.

Oh god, please no Tensionshipping. He could never forget the time Harley blew him a kiss. At least he being gay eliminated Cookieshipping.

Drew decided to stop breaking the fourth wall and started talking with Wally. He was a nice and polite boy compared to the Snow-capped teen. He seemed like the kind of person who would become a breeder. Some of Wally's pokemon were solid Contest material, like his Altaria. May had wanted to catch a Swablu, back when she was with Ash; however, she let it go with its flock. They had desired an Arcanine as well, once.

Green pokemon still caught Wally's eye though. However, few pokemon in the Sinnoh region were green. Wally had caught a Burmy and evolved it into a Wormadam in Eterna Forest, meaning his party of six was full. However, he had swapped his Roselia and Flygon for his Magnezone and Altaria. He also claimed to have a Delcatty. May had a Skitty and both evolutions were highly agile and cute. Harley had tried to trick May with Skitty at that infamous, at least to him, Grand Festival.

Wally looked back at the stage as Brendan entered. Drew watched to; he would not miss out on an opportunity to gloat.

Brendan's outfit looked like a Blackbelt's outfit, except the belt looked similar to the brim of his hat; the symbol of a pokeball. The belt was tied at the back, though around three quarters of the belt was left flying free. His hat had been removed, though he placed a band that also looked like the brim of his hat, allowing his raven bangs to poke out without the white cover. The Blackbelt top had a jagged and zigzagged edge, mimicking an Infernape ever so subtly. Shoulder guards were shaped into the golden spirals that Infernapes had. Plus, Brendan's bare feet had tuffs of white fluff tied around the ankles. As mentioned before, his Chimchar had gloves and shoes mimicking the arms and legs of an Infernape.

"You know what to do." Brendan reminded Chimchar, who nodded. Drew had to admit Brendan was not an absolute failure. He was going to watch the whole thing before making an accurate judgment though.

Chimchar was poised at the top stair of the small staircase down to the stage, and leapt into the air, before gravity kicked in he used a Flamethrower into hurl himself into the air again. He punched and kicked the air a few times. Chimchar's moveset was currently limited to Ember, Scratch, Flamewheel and Flamethrower. He finished with a fierce Scratch attack, and landed on the stage, while his trainer was still outside the curtain.

Brendan had clearly shown off Chimchar as well as the costume, as it was more of a fighting outfit, confirmed by Brendan's Blackbelt clothes. His outfit lacked the fiery flair that May's had. He could insult the two at the same time with that comment, if he said that May's costume was bad. That would mean Brendan's was worse. He could be nicer and just shoot Brendan down though.

That would mean he would become more successful in claiming May as his. However, his criticisms made May want to do better, to overtake him. She would seek him out, just to attempt to defeat him. She would be there if he insulted her. He was reminded that if he complemented her, she would ask him for advice. However, she needed to remember that he was her rival; her enemy. Drew could not risk her losing just because they were so friendly. He was not a cheater like Harley used to be. He was not going to let May be soft on him. He wanted her to win, determined and all. The harder he taunted her, the harder she would win. It was a cruel way for himself. He knew _he_ could defeat _her_. It was the truth. He was more experienced, he had come out on his journey earlier that year, but a few months could do a world of difference.

"All contestants have performed. Please excuse the judges while they decide on our winners."

The three winners are, Cocoa, May…" Enta announced. Brendan's heart sank a tiny bit. He did not win an award. He should have known that Cocoa would defeat him no matter what. Cocoa probably got the Accessories award with her well designed outfits. May was one of the three winners however. She stood forward happily, along with the clearly talented blonde Cocoa and another trainer. The unique performance went to the other trainer, while May and Cocoa glared off for the actual prize. May was doing it for fun however. She had no want for the contract.

"The Accessories award goes to Cocoa!" Enta exclaimed, making Cocoa highly pissed. "Meaning the Winner is, May!"

May was happy as she accepted the tiaras. Blaziken looked awkward with it, and preferred to give it to May's Piplup who had been allowed out of his pokeball. Piplup posed proudly, and Blaziken patted his head warmly. Hermione had explained that May had shown off Blaziken with the fiery kicks and punches, and showed off the fireproof outfit at the same time, especially with the flaming cape. May declined the prize, preferring to live her simple goal of being Top Coordinator. Brendan realized that was the reason he did not really care that he lost. He would not be able to complete his journey and his goal of Pokemon Master. It was for the better. He smiled as they left the stage. May smiled too, and Brendan smiled at that.

"You are more pathetic than I thought, Brendan." Drew drawled as Brendan and May exited the place in their proper clothes. "You were defeated by _May_."

"Really Grasshead?" Brendan hissed. "You did not even participate! You did not even design anything?"

Drew replied with a flick of his hair that made Brendan somewhat annoyed. Drew could win it with his charms alone, along with his contest skills. Drew smirked. Wally looked on worryingly and decided not to interfere.

"The point is that you got defeated by May." Drew informed the raven-haired boy whose name was not Ash calmly. Brendan clenched his fists but May got to the chartreuse haired boy first. She stormed over in a great fury.

"Excuse me Drew!" she cried. She did not say Mr. Rose as Brendan did not know about the roses. "I won that thing fair and square!" she prodded his chest with a single finger. Drew continued to smirk.

"Really? It was only because I did not participate." Drew reminded her tauntingly. Brendan came forward, and let May retreat away from the green haired teenager.

"May won the Floaroma Town Contest, and you were there!" Brendan retaliated on behalf of the brunette. However, Drew had already left.

"I am going to defeat you in the Hearthome Contest!" she declared at Drew's departing figure. He smiled as he left, though May did not see it. She was going to try her best. She could win for all he knew. He wanted her to be in the Grand Festival after all. However, Drew was not May's only barrier.


	18. Fantastiqueina

**A/N: This is not a contesthshipping chapter I am afraid, but Wally's gym battle against Fantina. I wrote on the description, eventual CS, because the CS chapters are coming up after the Hearthome Contest. They are nigh!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Do I really need to spell it out?**

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**Chapter 18: Fant-astique-ina **

"Mismagius, Magical Leaf then Shockwave!" a purple clad woman exclaimed while spinning around elegantly across the stony floor. Her Magical Pokemon glowed as leaves spun around in a sphere shape. Blue energy then came from it, hitting the glowing leaves and bouncing off one another. The result was a ball of blue and green energy surrounding the Magical Pokemon. It was a good combination for an appeal, and also an attack. Both attacks were unavoidable ones after all.

"I call it Counter Shield." She said proudly to the lone trainer in the room with her. The trainer had green hair and emeralds for eyes. A Roserade stood strong beside him. The green haired teenager nodded with approval. "A trainer called Ash showed it to me."

The green haired trainer frowned, before a Shadow Ball was created inside the cage, making the Magical Leaf and Shockwave seem to glow brighter. The Shadow Ball which covered Mismagius in a shield grew larger until the Magical Leaf and Shockwave could not hold it any longer.

There was a beautiful explosion. The whole place turned darker with the Shadow Ball, while orbs of glowing blue and green floated around, looking like stars. The green haired teen and his Bouquet Pokemon looked around in amazement.

Behind them, the door opened smoothly. Light cut into the room, showing off the dark particles in the air. Three figures from beyond it were looking at the beautiful scene of lights. The door closed before the show ended. A brunette exclaimed the beauty of the display. She put her hand to an orb of light, which fizzled beautifully. A while afterwards, the atmosphere grew lighter and the lights vanished. The sapphire eyes of the brunette adjusted in the light to meet the emerald ones of the green haired trainer. There was another green haired trainer with her too, but his eyes were pale sapphire. The third figure had raven bangs, though they were cloaked in a snowy white hat.

"Drew?" the brunette asked in a questioning tone. The male coordinator merely replied with a smirk. The other green haired trainer was looking back and forth from the green and purple trainers. The raven haired boy was looking straight at the purple haired trainer however. He strode over confidently.

"Fantina." He addressed her. Meanwhile, the brunette walked towards the coordinator known as Drew.

"Why are you here?" the brunette known as May questioned.

"The Hearthome Gym Leader, Fantina, is a coordinator. I merely came for some tips. I also saw the amazing appeal. It is a pity you only got to see the end of it." Drew replied.

"Mademoiselle, are you a coordinator also?" Fantina inquired with interest. The brunette replied with a nod before Fantina turned towards the black haired teenage boy.

"And you are a challenger, oui?" Fantina asked.

"I, Brendan Birch, would like to challenge the Hearthome gym leader!" he addressed boldly. The purple haired woman noted it, before turning to the less pompous green haired boy.

"Moi aussi?" she inquired. Wally was not a speaker of French. He only knew Japanese and English, but he knew she was asking if he was challenging her too. It was rather common sense.

"Oui." Wally said formally. Fantina smiled as she returned her Mismagius.

"Alor. Now who would like to go first?"

Drew was having a case of Déjà vu. It was such a coincidence that Fantina was French. He was sitting with May and Brendan in the comfortable purple-ish blue chairs. Wally had decided to go first. The rules had already been explained.

"Gengar dear, come out, S'il vous plait!" Fantina said as she threw the ball elegantly.

"Dearest Green Gardevoir, lets do it!" Wally replied. Both pokemon appeared in white light, facing each other on the battlefield. Gengar was hovering in the air because of its ability, levitate. The atmosphere grew a bit colder over at the stands, though it was much colder around Gengar. Drew smirked.

"This will be interesting, seeing that Gengar is weak against Psychic-types, and Gardevoir is weak against Ghost-types." Drew commented lazily.

"Monsieur Wally, you may have the first move." Fantina offered.

"Alright dearest Gardevoir, Calm Mind." Wally started off. He was waiting until Fantina made a move. Until them, it was fine for him to make Gardevoir stronger. Gardevoir closed her eyes as she glowed. Soon after she opened her eyes to look at Gengar who was hovering around unpredictably.

"Interesting move! Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Fantina ordered, as a ball of shadow was created inbetween Gengar's hands. It was then shot towards Gardevoir. It was clearly going to hit.

"Double Team." Wally said suddenly. Gardevoir glowed as multiple other Gardevoirs were dotted around the battlefield, as unpredictable as Gengar. "Follow it up with Magical Leaf!"

Grass attacks were not that effective on Gengar, though they still did damage. It was an unavoidable attack. The Gardevoirs formed a circle around Gengar, before they all spun beautifully, leaves circling them in turn, before firing off towards Gengar. Fantina clasped her hands at the sight of such a beautiful display before countering it.

"Counter Shield." She countered. Wally and Brendan were puzzled, while May and Drew smiled knowingly. May had found it out from Ash from one of their chats.

Gengar spun around in the air, while shooting out Shadow Punches. The fists of shadow shot out, making the glowing leaves vanish in puffs of green light.

"Teleport, dearest Gardevoir." Wally said quickly, as the Gardevoirs vanished from the ring they created. The Shadow Punches flew through the air to hit them however. While puffs of smoke cloaked the clones, the real one was aiming for the ground. So far, Gengar was winning with full health.

"Shadow Punch is fantastique non? It cannot be avoided!" Fantina exclaimed as Gardevoir landed on the ground elegantly, though she was clearly hurt. Clear Mind had eased the power of the punch though.

"Then have a taste of Shockwave!" Wally replied. Gardevoir closed her eyes once more as she glowed blue. She opened her eyes again and directed blue lightning with her hands which rippled throughout the stadium, hitting Gengar. Gengar fell towards the ground, but quickly regain height with levitate. It was not as strong as Wally hoped it would be, but Clear Mind helped ease the super effectiveness of the Shadow Punch, meaning that Gengar had only a bit more health than Gardevoir.

While Drew was paying attention to the battle, he was still thinking about him and May.

"_I've been thing about you." May admitted as she sat on the edge of the stage._

"_Were they good thoughts?" he replied arrogantly before he could stop himself._

"_Of course they were!" May replied._

That time Drew realized exactly how dear he was to May, despite her being to dense to notice his feelings for her. She was more trusting. He could not allow it like she trusted Harley. What if he was a cheater? She would trust him and she would let her guard down. Everything had to be fair and square in his world. She needed chances to prove herself. He always encouraged them, or rather, encouraged her to encourage them.

"Let's see how you handle this! Night Shade and Dark Pulse!" Fantina challenged, as bolts of shadow came from Gengar's eyes, while from his mouth came a spiraling beam of darkness. They combined to make a beautiful combination. Purple-ish black tornado formed, whirling around the stage, hitting Gardevoir multiple times.

"Oh no! Protect!" Wally yelled quickly as a sphere of green light surrounded Gardevoir protectively as the tendrils of darkness raged on outside. "Now, Teleport over near me!"

Gardevoir did as told, as she appeared inside the field, but near the trainers box. Wally returned Gardevoir.

"You need a rest." Wally informed his Embrace Pokemon's pokeball, before sending out another pokemon.

"Dearest Altaria, show them how it is done." He ordered. Fantina was proving to be a tough opponent. Wally was lucky his Gardevoir had not fainted. Brendan was shocked from the last attack Gengar dished out.

"Well, seeing how even Wally is losing, maybe you shouldn't bother to fight Fantina. You would probably lose. I heard many trainers challenge Fantina for their fifth badge, not their third." Drew drawled from the sidelines to the black haired teen on the other side of May. Gengar was Fantina's weakest pokemon, it was true. Brendan was having doubts now. He shielded his ears as a screeching sound echoed through the Gym. Everyone else followed suit.

"I bet I can defeat her." He hissed in reply as a Flamethrower whizzed past them, hitting Gengar. Their interests were on the battle again.

Altaria clearly had the upper hand, as Gengar was weakened by Gardevoir. Fantina was not fazed though.

"You know what to do, Gengar!" she reminded her Shadow Pokemon who flew around the stage rapidly, before a red sphere appeared in Gengar's hands. Bolts of energy came out of the Sphere, hitting Altaria with ease, though she made an effort to dodge the unpredictable lights. Altaria landed on the ground, fast asleep.

"Return Altaria, and come out again." Wally said, as a red light covered the sleeping Humming Pokemon, before it came out in a white light again. Fantina was shocked. It was wide awake.

"Altaria's ability is Natural Cure." Wally explained. "Now, end this with another Astonish and Flamethrower combo!"

The haunting screech came again, before a Flamethrower was sent towards Gengar on the sound waves of the Astonish. Gengar was sent back as the flames covered it.

Gengar was slammed into the ground. Flickers of red and orange vanished as the cloud of smoke covered the stage. When it cleared, Gengar had fainted.

"Gengar is unable to battle. Altaria wins!"

"Noooooooooooo!" Fantina cried. Wally patted his Humming Pokemon fondly.

"Return Gengar, and come on out Drifblim!" Fantina commanded as she spun around while throwing a pokeball. Her signature pokemon appeared, hovering in the air. Will-o-Wisp was automatically used, as Psychic changed the flames to rings surrounding Drifblim diagonally. They rotated frequently.

"Go!" Fantina exclaimed, as the rings flew over, trapping Altaria.

"Flamethrower!" Wally cried, but a ring blocked the flames. Drifblim drifted over, and put its hands on Altaria's cheeks.

"Hypnosis!" Fantina exclaimed for the second time. The 'x' on Drifblim glowed and a yellow 'x' hit Altaria, point blank. Altaria was hypnotized and asleep.

"Now, Psychic!" Fantina continued as the sleeping Altaria was lifted into the air, before Wally could return her. Altaria then was slammed into the ground from a great height. When the smoke cleared, Altaria had fainted. Brendan was even more worried. Gardevoir was close to fainting and Altaria had already fainted. Fantina on the other hand had two pokemon with full health.

"Altaria is unable to battle. Drifblim is the winner!"

"My dear Drifblim, you were wonderful." Fantina commented as it drifted towards her. She patted it with happiness before it returned to its spot and recreated the blue fiery rings.

"Return dear Altaria." Wally said smoothly as the light enveloped his Altaria. He smiled at her pokeball, before wondering what pokemon he should use next. He was torn between Wormadam and Magnezone. He decided to use Gardevoir again.  
"Gardevoir, return valiant Green one!" Wally called as Gardevoir came out again. Her head was still head high as she looked at Drifblim.

"Drifblim, Psychic!" Fantina called, countering Gardevoir's own power against her. The Embrace Pokemon could resist it, but she was not immune to it. As a blue light coated her, Gardevoir tried to struggle.

"Ominous Wind!" Fantina echoed across the stage as Drifblim's mouth in the middle of the 'x' opened. A whirlwind of dark energy was sent at the Embrace Pokemon. It hit Gardevoir who was distracted by the Psychic, sending her into the air and hitting her multiple times.

"Now!" Fantina exclaimed, as the rings of Will-o-Wisp were sent at Gardevoir, attacking her and constricting her. Suddenly the rings closed in and smoke enveloped Gardevoir with a sharp bang. It was more of a mist of blue and purple however. Gardevoir fell to the ground, fainted.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle. Drifblim wins!"

Brendan was really getting worried now. Wally only had one Pokemon left, while Fantina still had her Drifblim and Mismagius. Drew took the opportunity to remark.

"Wally and Fantina's Pokemon are both excellent." Drew said kindly as Fantina congratulated her Blimp Pokemon. Before Brendan could question anything, Drew cut in again.

"You have no hope of defeating such graceful Pokemon unless you have some too." Drew scoffed at Brendan who had once again, shielded against the green hair by means of a brunette. May sweatdropped.

"If you can prove me different, participate in the Hearthome Super Contest. It is called such because it is super; double the battles, double the appeals." Drew challenged casually. "And if you win you can present the ribbon to May instead, so I don't get it. Wally should also."

Brendan was determined to defeat Drew for his own pride. Wally was overjoyed though, as he had not sent out his next Pokemon yet. Drifblim had its rings again.

"Magnezone, green or not, I choose you!" Wally exclaimed, showing his last Pokemon. The Magnet Area pokemon appeared in the usual white glow.

"Drifblim, Ominous Wind!" Fantina proclaimed. Magnezone was very resistant, and could take a lot to wear it down. Indeed, it seemed unfazed by the attack, except for the fact that its eye was closed. Fantina still kept a smile on her face at this loss.

"Mud Slap." She commanded as her Drifblim spun around, creating a tornado of mud around it. While inside the murky substance, it stopped and shot the mud at the Magnezone. This time it was clearly hurt and could not defend itself because its eye was still closed from the Ominous Wind. Fantina still managed to put on a show with that less than beautiful Mud Slap worked like a Mud Sport, except it was on the enemy. Fantina prided at her quick strategy. Brendan was amazed at the intelligence of the Gym Leader. Wally had everything under control again however.

"Magnezone, Lock On and Tri Attack!" he ordered firmly.

"Double Team." Fantina exclaimed, outwitting the young trainer once more. Magnezone looked around confused. Wally was still calm.

"Magnet Bomb." He retaliated, as white orbs appeared around Magnezone, and promptly shot towards the Drifblims.

"Fly." Fantina cut in, as the Drifblims flew all around. Once or twice two Magnet Bombs crossed paths and exploded. Brendan was amazed. Gradually the bombs lost power and faded. Fantina grinned. Drifblim had defeated the weakened Gardevoir and Altaria. It would not defeat Magenezone. Not if Wally can help it. Fantina's Pokemon were unpredictable. The mud started slipping off though, thankfully.

"Shockwave!" Wally said as soon as the mud vanished completely. Magnezone was coated in blue energy which struck out around it. The multiple Drifblims tried to dodge it, but bolts branched off to hit them. The real Drifblim floated down to the ground. However, that was the only attack it was hit by so far. The rings of fire vanished. This was proving to be difficult.

"Gyro Ball!" Wally said calmly, dishing out yet another attack. However, Magnezone was heavy and slow, while Drifblim was fast. Gyro Ball was known to be stronger under such circumstances. Indeed, Magnezone started spinning. A band of glowing white appeared around it as it slammed into Drifblim hard.

"Now, Thunder!" Wally exclaimed as Magnezone glowed with yellow energy before shooting it. It hit easily, point blank. Drifblim was encircled by lightning, energy crackling all over in the deadly embrace. Suddenly there was a cloud of smoke and an explosion, as Drifblim floated down to the ground. Fainted at last.

"Drifblim is unable to battle, Magnezone wins!"

"Nooooooooo!" Fantina cried before she returned her precious starter and first pokemon. Wally looked determined to defeat Fantina's Mismagius. Magnezone was circled with shadow bolts from Aftermath.

"Mismagius, darling! Come on out!" Fantina cried while she spun around elegantly. She struck a pose as the pokeball in her hand opened, as a light shot over head and her Mismagius appeared.

"Magnezone, Shockwave!" Wally said at once, though Fantina was smiling.

"Magical Leaf!" she retaliated calmly, as a ring of green glowing leaves surrounded Mismagius, repelling the blue lightning that emitted from Magnet Area Pokemon, as Grass-type moves were resistant to Electric typed ones.

"Gyro Ball and Spark!" Wally cried quickly. Magnezone spun, as yellow electricity moved in sync in a makeshift Volt Tackle. The ball of lightning quickly shot towards the Magical Pokemon, breaking through the grassy barrier with the Gyro Ball.

"Substitute." Fantina said elegantly. As Magnezone collided with the purple colored pokemon, it vanished in a puff of smoke. The real Mismagius appeared behind Magnezone.

"Now, Hyper Beam!" Fantina continued as Mismagius let out a beam of orange energy, hitting Magnezone straight on, who crashed to the ground. As the smoke cleared, it was clear that Magnezone had fainted.

"Magnezone is unable to battle, meaning the Gym Leader, Fantina, has won!"

"You did a wonderful job." Wally said solemnly as he returned the large Pokemon.

"That battle was tres fantastique!" Fantina praised on the green haired trainer after she returned her Mismagius, before turning to Brendan. "Je suis desole Monsieur Brendan, my Pokemon need rest after that battle. We battle tomorrow?"

Brendan was not exactly in high spirits, but he nodded none the less happily.

"Of course Fantina!"


	19. Speed vs Strength

**A/N: Not very contestshippy, but there is one line that Drew says that is quite contestshipping, near the end. Also, a non-canon secret is revealed! We are changing between battle and training**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon May would join Ash in Sinnoh. I wonder, will Dawn join Ash in *insert region for Pokemon B/W, the racist generation!***

* * *

**Chapter 19: Speed vs Strength **

"You are not coming?" Brendan asked in surprise at their brunette friend. She nodded firmly in confirmation.

"The Hearthome Super Contest is on soon. I need practice, as there are few Super Contests in Sinnoh. The other one is Daybreak Town, and that is near Sunnyshore." May explained. Brendan did realize how May needed it, and agreed. Brendan himself needed to prepare, as Drew had dared him to. Wally had decided to do it too. Wally and Brendan already registered. However, Brendan was determined to defeat Fantina. He departed from them as May suggested they train in Amity Square. When they got there, Wally was looking around in awe, sniffing the subtle flavors of the flowers, and feeling the calm breeze. May glanced over at the bushes, and strode over to a particular one. She ducked her head under it to discover the secret spot again. It was at the corner of the flowery area, lined by sandstone bricks. She stood up straight and gestured to Wally to follow, as she nudged past the bush, finding out that some bricks there were missing. Wally clasped his hands in amazement, before sending out his Roselia and Wormadam. He had exchanged Magnezone for Roselia as Wally could not think of any appeal Magnezone could aid in. Besides, Wally decided to use his strengths of green and grassy-ness.

"Roselia, Razor Leaf, Wormadam, Protect!" Wally yelled, as Roselia spun around in the air, letting spinning green leaves around the area. Wormadam concentrated as the leaves glowed green, before green bubbles encased them.

"Roselia, Stun Spore, Wormadam, Psybeam!" Wally continued. May was already impressed. Roselia kept spinning, but orange dust escaped from the flowers of the Thorn Pokemon. They swept up into the sky, passing the encased green orbs, showing off the firmness of the forcefields and making them more appealing at the same time. Then a jet of pink and purple contrasting light shot up like lightning, hitting each sphere, though the Protect did it's job well. The Psybeam and bubbles formed a makeshift tree. The stun spores remained outside, floating beautifully.

"Now, finish this off with a Magical Leaf and Hidden Power combo!" Wally finished as Roselia formed glowing leaves, sweeping them through the Psybeam and cutting it up. Wormadam glowed, as spheres of white formed around it and were shot at the spheres. Both attacks hit the Protected Razor Leaves, sending rainbow fireworks downwards, aided by the Stun Spore. May gasped at the sheer beauty.

"That was amazing Wally!" she praised at the green haired boy that was not Drew.

"Don't let that Shadow Punch hurt you Aggron! Use Metal Claw!" Brendan commanded, as Aggron shook off the shadowy residue, and charged at the Shadow Pokemon; claws glowing. Gengar hovered patiently, and just before the claws hit, it dodged with practiced ease.

"Iron Tail!" Brendan retaliated quickly, but as Aggron swung his tail, the Gengar moved away easily through the air. Fantina smiled brightly.

"Alor, Hypnosis!" she stated, as Gengar formed a red orb in each hand. Red bolts of lightning were fired towards Aggron. Brendan was ready for it however.

"Magnet Rise!" he insisted quickly, as Aggron was coated in yellow, and dodged from it by using the air which Aggron was now hovering in. Fantina continued to smile at the change of events.

"Dark Pulse, Gengar, sil vous plait!" Fantina stated, as Gengar fired off a spiraling shadowy beam at Aggron, hitting him and trapping him like a Fire Spin.

"Ignore it! Go for an Iron Head and an Iron Tail!" Brendan yelled, as Aggron's horn glowed white and charged up through the Dark Pulse, and hit Gengar straight on, before spinning and hitting Gengar again with it's tail. "Finish this with a Metal Claw!"

"Destiny Bond." Fantina said calmly. Aggron was a real powerhouse, and she could not afford to let Aggron continue. As Aggron slashed down on Gengar, a cloud of smoke enveloped the field. When it cleared, both pokemon were unable to battle.

"Both Aggron and Gengar are unable to battle!"

Brendan was amazed at the events that occurred. Fantina actually had a smug look on her face.

"Never mind that, Chimchar, lets go!" he said, throwing up another pokeball.

"Mismagius, lets win, oui?"

May had her Wartortle with her, since she had one extra slot in her party. She had been hoping to capture a Sinnoh Pokemon. Piplup did not count as she did not capture him. May had also allowed Piplup out of his pokeball; Wally did the same with Turtwig.

Glaceon was standing beside May, and Wartortle stood on her other side.

"Wartortle, Withdraw, Glaceon, get on top of that shell!" May started, as Wartortle withdrew into his shell. Momentarily there was a shine sweeping over it. Glaceon elegantly jumped and landed on the back of it. Even such simple moves showed off the Pokemon well; the shell for Wartortle, and the elegance of Glaceon.

"Glaceon, Aqua Tail, Wartortle, Rapid Spin!" May stated as Glaceon flipped on Wartortle's shell and landed on her tail, which glowed blue. Rings and jets of water surrounded it, illuminating the Pokemon more. Underneath her, Wartortle started spinning, slowly at first so Glaceon would not fall off, but soon it became clear that Glaceon was balanced; this was not the first time May had tried that combo. However, when she attempted it back in Johto, it did not work in time for the contest. The water from the Aqua Tail was already creating beautiful patterns while Wartortle spun.

"Glaceon, Secret Power, Wartortle, Water Gun!" May continued as Glaceon started to glow pink, and it radiated outwards. Wartortle made multiple water guns from inside the shell. The tendrils of water spun all around the stage like a Counter Shield. The pink light reflected off the water and water guns collided, creating rainbows.

"Now Glaceon use Ice Shard, Wartortle, use Ice Beam!" May finished, as Glaceon flipped off Wartortle, who stopped spinning as well. They were back to back as Wartortle fired bolts of electric blue onto the ground, and Glaceon created a ball of ice which was fired to the center of the watery web. The ball of ice broke the web, creating what looked like a Water Pulse. At the same time the ice elements made it freeze, from the base because of the Ice Beam, and the center because of the Ice Shard. What was formed was an Icy Castle with rainbows trapped within. Arches and domes were apparent from the spinning Water Gun, as they were frozen from the Ice Beam before the Ice Shard could do its work.

Wally was amazed. Unknown to the brunette, Wally was not the only green haired trainer watching.

"Flamewheel!" Brendan said desperately. He and Chimchar were losing fast. His Chimchar then breathed out fire, spinning up towards the Magical Pokemon. Fantina still had a smile on her face. She should have. She even dared to counter Ember with Magical Leaf and it worked. Of course, she defeated any Flamethrower with a Psybeam, and her Mismagius who was hovering in the air, was virtually untouchable by Chimchar.

"Psywave." She ordered simply, as ripples of psychic energy were emitted from Mismagius. They hit Chimchar, who lost control over the flames, and tumbled down to the ground.

"Now, Mismagius, Psybeam!" Fantina said, while dancing elegantly with her hands. The pink and purple Psybeam was fired at Chimchar, and a cloud of smoke enveloped the Chimp Pokemon. Seconds later the smoke cleared and Chimchar had fainted. Brendan was losing faster than Wally had, to his horror.

"Chimchar is unable to battle, Mismagius wins!"

"I had a feeling you would choose Altaria and Flygon." May commented. After some swapping around, Wally's team consisted of Gardevoir, Turtwig, Roselia, Wormadam, Altaria and Flygon, though it was only for the contest. Wally grinned. The two were both Dragon Pokemon, so they could dish out powerful moves with twice the strength. They also had the control of the air and were graceful.

"So, a Fire and Water combo for you? Sounds risky." Wally commented. May smiled at him and decided to explain to him how effective it would be, if she could pull it off. She had done a combo dubbed Fire and Water Whirlwind, and it was a great success.

"It has been done before by me. Great successes were creative from them." May informed him firmly. It did not have to be said that Wally was still unsure of May's tactics. May was being cautious and sure about it though. Dawn had said bye-bye in the first round, despite an excellent appeal. Dawn's power and skill in the Sinnoh Grand Festival was amazing, despite Dawn being two years younger than her. If Dawn was up against Drew, she would be a goner though. Dawn just got lucky, and that irritated May somewhat. Unlucky world. At least she had Brendan and Wally.

"Rhyperior, Finish that thing off with Rock Wrecker!" Brendan commanded, as a rock was formed from the holes in Rhyperior's hands, and was hurled at Mismagius. The rock did massive damage, almost anchoring the Magical Pokemon beneath it.

"Mismagius is unable to battle, Rhyperior wins!"

"Noooooooo!" Fantina cried famously. It did not help that Fantina rhymed with Argentina.

Mismagius was cloaked in red light as Fantina returned it. She however smiled as she threw out her last Pokemon with a quick dance. Brendan was intimidated.

"Drifblim, blow him away, sil vous plait!" she encouraged her signature Pokemon. Bands of blue flames circled the Blimp pokemon, just like in Wally's battle.

"Bring it on Fantina…" Brendan said. Brendan was a tad bit nervous, but if the trainer is nervous so is the Pokemon. He would not allow that to happen. Fantina smiled as Drifblim floated around the massive Pokemon of Brendan's. Brendan realized his mistake; Rock Wrecker required some time to rest afterwards, leaving Rhyperior vulnerable to the one attack he knew was coming.

"Hypnosis!" she called out as Drifblim's 'x' mouth glowed yellow and was shot at Rhyperior.

"I am going to check on Brendan, you want to come?" Wally questioned the brunette after he returned his Pokemon and prepared to leave the secret area.

"Nah." May replied simply. Wally understood, as May naturally wanted to train more, alone, so no secrets were spilled, because Wally was a rival for her now. Wally smiled at her, before ducking behind the bush and leaving her alone.

"We need combinations." May said flatly when Wally left, as she looked at Blaziken and Piplup. "They must have back up plans and should be safe, because an unsafe combination could lead to a loss."

The two starters nodded firmly.

"Failure results in extinguished flames and a weakened water attack." May continued, as she sat down on a sandstone brick with a sigh; not many ideas were coming to her head. She breathed in the lingering scent of roses. Wait roses? There were not just rose bushes. She suddenly noticed the pinker air, and it was not from Glaceon's Secret Power. It smelled nice. It was sweet, and some of it made her calmer. A combination of Sweet Scent and Aromatherapy; it was not hard to guess who it was coming from.

Wally opened the door to the Gym, to see a Rhyperior collapse in dust and smoke, while a triumphant Drifblim hovered overhead. Brendan had lost quickly. He looked sadly as he glanced at the green haired trainer, returning the massive Pokemon in red light. Fantina was thanking him for a good battle, but he did not notice; he simply decided to go back to the Pokemon Center.

Drew had been watching from the Mini-Sinnoh, and on the Mini-Coronet Ranges too. Roserade was next to him, as they created fabulous scents to waft around the place. His hair whipped around wildly, but he did not care about it. His hair resembled grass anyway. Grass was constantly blown by the wind after all. Flowers grew in grass, and that was why Roserade was his favorite Pokemon, besides the fact it was his first Pokemon. May had started to notice the smell, it seemed. He quickly jumped off the rock with Roserade, and searched for a spot that could be used for training. He scanned the area with his green orbs. His eyes lit up as he discovered a good one.

"Drew!" the brunette teenager said, mere minutes after he had gotten comfy in his 'training spot'. He was lucky. She smiled that innocent smile at him. She had returned her Pokemon as it was apparent that she could not think of any combos.

"I saw Brianna earlier." He said casually, as he sniffed a rose in his hand. She was not fuming yet. Luckily he was not lying. He indeed, saw Brianna earlier that day. The pinkish red head had told him she was using a Plusle and Minum for the appeal, and that she would be wearing something that looked like a cheerleading outfit. She must have caught them just to cheer for him. What an embarrassment. She would be using Butterfree and Roselia in the battle round.

"Just, defeat her okay?" he said a tad softer than he intended, as he swept past her to get out of Amity Square, leaving a confused brunette behind.

* * *

Brianna looked at her two Cheering Pokemon and their electric pompoms. She was wearing a cheerleading outfit resembling a Plusle and Minun. She had one red pompom, and one blue pompom. The outfit was a cute cream color and she was satisfied with it. She suddenly took out something from her bag. She flicked open her Pokegear.

"Urura." She whispered in Japanese, as a fellow pinkish red head come on the screen, who had longer hair, that was in swirly piggy tails that were somewhat similar to Princess Curls.

"Hai, Wakana." She replied in Japanese. She snuck over to somewhere in the city where the others were unlikely to find her.

"Will this work?" she asked nervously, still in Japanese, but I am not converting it to Romaji. Ursula smirked at the nervous younger coordinator.

"Plusle and Minun will get you past the first round that is for sure, if you are staying with your plan. In the Akatsuki Town Contest I used them in the battle round, and lost to that Hikari. I cannot believe the final battle was between her and Nozomi in the Grand Festival last year!"

They were speaking in Japanese quickly so their words would not be heard so easily.

"Hai. Arigatou, Onee-chan."

* * *

Yes, I made Brianna, Ursula's little sister. They look the same. Their eyes are different colored, but they could still be family. It is like Brianna teaming up with cheating Harley to bring May and Drew down, except Harley is good now. Well Ursula is Dawn's version of Harley anyway. Cookies, Poffin offered to Pachirisu anyone? Yes, in Japan, the final battle of the Grand Festival will be screened on the 20th of May. The final battle is between Zoey and Dawn (HOW DID SHE GET SO GOOD?! MAY COULD NOT EVEN GET IN THE FINALS!)

Just pretend that Brianna was in Kanto for contests, not that she lives there kay?


	20. Hearthome is where the contest is

**A/N: Sorry I have not sent out this chapter earlier. The battles next chapter is really hard to type somehow. At least I have the concept for the next few chapters.**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to say? Really? Damn. I don't own pokemon.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Hearthome is where the Contest is**

"Ladies and Gentleman! It's the moment you have all been waiting for! And that moment will be here, in Hearthome! In this very stadium! Right here and right now!" Marian exclaimed as the roof of the stadium retracted, and the cheers of the excited audience rebounded and were set free into the Sinnoh Sky. The Master of Ceremonies was positioned in front of the curtain that shielded the passage between waiting room and of course, the stage.

"For our first round, coordinators will use two Pokemon, in an exciting double performance!" Marian explained. "In the second round, coordinators will go head to head in double battles! Its beauty times two, battles times two! Double the fun, no matter how you like it!"

May stood behind stage, watching the widescreen with idle interest. She had already changed into her Contest Outfit.

"Hey May!" A girly voice cried out. May did not have to turn around to know that it was Harley. She did turn around though. He was wearing his usual Cacturne Outfit, and Solidad had decided on a suit, rather than a dress. It did have a girly quality to it though; the coat sprayed out at the bottom like a dress, but her pants were apparent. Drew was also tailing along.

"Hey guys!" May said in a cheery voice, and with a big smile. Harley and Solidad replied with their own smiles, though Drew was indifferent, smelling the Aromatherapy laced fresh rose he carried for contests.

"Here it is! The Hearthome Ribbon! Which a talented coordinator will earn. This will be a good asset for the coordinator as they have a greater chance to go onto the Grand Festival, which requires Five Ribbons from the Sinnoh Region! What do you think of that?" Marian was talking while the group of coordinators was doing so. Brianna looked at them cautiously, and sneakily.

"May!" another voice cried out, and Brendan and Wally came over with smiles on their face. Drew turned to shield his jealously, though Solidad noticed this. She was Drew's motherly figure while he was on journeys after all. Brendan was wearing a black and red suit, while Wally wore a green one.

"And now it is time to hear a few words from our judges!" Marian continued.

"It is a real pleasure to be here! The double performances and battles will truly be a sight to behold!" Mr. Contesta thanked.

"Hearthome City is remarkable!" remarked Mr. Sukizo.

"One coordinator and two Pokemon! I cannot wait to see the combinations the coordinators will show us!" Nurse Joy commented, before Marian started talking again.

"And now it is time for the first round: Double Performances! Our first coordinator is, Brianna!"

Drew peered over his flower to watch Brianna and her cream colored dress walk onto the stage. It was not a cheerleading costume, just a dress.

"Butterfree, Roselia, show 'em what you got!" Brianna exclaimed. Drew frowned. She had probably swapped the Pokemon used in both rounds. Plusle and Minum probably were in the battle round. The two Pokemon were both enclosed in pink hearts, that popped to reveal them.

"Roselia, Toxic Spikes. Butterfree, Whirlwind!" Brianna started, as spikes of poison appeared on the stage, before they were whisked upwards in a deadly whirlwind around the two Pokemon.

"Roselia, Synthesis, Butterfree, Safeguard!" Brianna continued as the two Pokemon within the purple glowed green, outlining them.

"Now. Roselia, Swords Dance, Butterfree, Silver Wind." Brianna finished, as the glowing figure of Roselia danced within the purple, and jumped out of it while the glowing Butterfree flapped its wings, sending crescents of silver flying outwards, breaking the poisonous wind and sending sparkles across the stage. Roselia landed on Butterfree in a graceful manner as they bowed. The crowd roared as claps echoed across the stage.

Brendan was not listening to the comments. He was rather nervous, which was weird for him, as he was a confident trainer. Not a confident coordinator by the looks of it though.

"Nicely done, Brianna." Drew praised, making May turn her head from the worried Brendan, to the dark peach and chartreuse coordinators. May felt a pang of jealousy; confusing her. She dismissed the thought, thinking that it was because Drew praised Brianna, not her. Like he still thought that she was still a rookie, despite the years they had known each other. Another part insisted it was something more, but May did not listen to that part much. She was too dense to listen to the part of her brain that dealt with romances about herself. She saw romances surrounding others easily though, as long as they did not relate to her.

May watched the performances in amazement.

"Hearthome is known for its excellent performances." Drew informed her, and May was surprised to hear it in a less drawling tone than usual.

"Our next coordinator is, Brendan!" Marian exclaimed as the curtains rose to show the trainer.

"Chimchar and Shiftry, show 'em style!" Brendan exclaimed as he showed his pokeballs and threw them. Lightning bolts encircled the two Pokemon and were shot all over the stage. The two pokemon landed smoothly on the stage.

Drew watched the two Pokemon choices, and frowned, glancing over at the female brunette.  
"I think you are a bad influence on him. Since you are doing a fire and water combo, he decides on a fire and grass combo. Very chaotic stuff." He blamed before sniffing his rose. May had to agree with him, well on the fact how a fire and grass combo would be rather bad. Then again…

"What about Roserade's combo of Weather Ball and Magical Leaf?" May questioned. Drew froze for a second, before replying.

"A Sunny Weather Ball is only a tame ball of fire. Rather, Chimchar's fire is stronger and wilder." He replied. "And you need a balance of those two Pokemon."

"Chimchar, Ember, Shiftry, Razor Wind!" Brendan started, as Chimchar fired pellets of fire. Minutes later, sharp winds cut through the pellets, reducing them to fiery dust.

"Shiftry, Razor Leaf, Chimchar, Flamethrower!" Brendan said. Drew's eyes narrowed.

"Flamethrower is not exactly the move to use right now…" Drew commented. He was right. As the leaves cut through the tiny embers, they got lit up, not what Brendan was hoping for. So the Flamethrower passed through mere leaves of fire. Brendan had finished his appeal.

May turned away from the screen, and glanced over at Wally. His Wormadam and Roselia seemed poised and ready. He was a more caring and kinder trainer, and let his Pokemon out more. He patted the two, and returned them, placed the pokeballs into ball capsules which already had seals on them, and left.

"Good Luck Wally!" May exclaimed, as the other green haired trainer left. Moments later, Brendan came out of the corridor.

"Our next coordinator is Wally!" Marian exclaimed as the curtains rose and Wally came forward, throwing the two pokeballs into the air. They were surrounded by Flora Seal flowers.

"Roselia, Razor Leaf, Wormadam, Protect!" Wally yelled, as Roselia spun around in the air gracefully, while green leaves spun all. Wormadam concentrated as the leaves glowed green, before green bubbles encased them. The bubbles floated around the stage.

"Roselia, Stun Spore, Wormadam, Psybeam!" Wally continued. Roselia was still spinning, though orange dust came out of the roses of Roselia. They swept up into the sky, passing the encased green orbs, showing off the firmness of the forcefields and making them more appealing at the same time. Then a jet of pink and purple contrasting light shot up like lightning, hitting each sphere, though the Protect did it's job well. The Psybeam and bubbles formed a makeshift tree that spread far and wide. The stun spores remained outside, floating beautifully.

"Now, finish this off with a Magical Leaf and Hidden Power combo!" Wally finished as Roselia formed glowing leaves, sweeping them through the Psybeam and cutting it up. Wormadam glowed, as spheres of white formed around it and were shot at the spheres. Both attacks hit the Protected Razor Leaves, sending rainbow fireworks downwards, aided by the Stun Spore.

"Just as practiced!" May said proudly at Wally. Wally smiled at her. Drew was amazed at the performance, despite already seeing it, that day in Amity Square. Brendan was down in the dumps.

"Next up, it's Harley!" Marian announced, and everyone looked towards the screen. Harley in all his purple and Cacturne goodness was on the screen.

"Cacturne darling and Ariados buddy, lets go!" he said happily as they came out, while glowing lines crisscrossed out of their pokeballs.

"Ariados, Shadow Ball. Cacturne, Bullet Seed!" Harley commanded, as a ball of shadows was formed in front of Ariados and was shot towards the barrage of golden seeds. The two contrasting attacks hit each other, forming delightful patterns across the stage.

"Now. Cacturne, Pin Missile. Ariados, Spider Web!" Harley finished as arrow like streams of light came towards the Spider Web. The two attacks came together in a ball and exploded.

"I felt like I was watching a short battle. What will the judges say?" Marian asked.

"It's your turn next right Solidad?" May asked as they turned away from the screen. The referred woman nodded as she got ready.

"I am using Slowbro and Lapras." Solidad informed her fairly as she showed the brunette the pokeballs.

"Do you think I got into the second round hun?" Harley asked, bursting from the corridor.

"What ever you say." Solidad muttered as she passed him. Harley tried to find a corner to weep in, but found out all of the corners of woe was occupied by Tamaki. He went over to the sulking Brendan though.

"Its Solidad!" Marian introduced as the curtains went up. Solidad sent out her Pokemon surrounded by bubbles from a Foamy Seal.

"Just as we practiced." Solidad said simply, as Slowbro's head glowed, popping the bubbles by swimming through the air with Psychic. Lapras sang beautifully, creating an underwater atmosphere as a Water Pulse from Lapras circled the two Pokemon, and another Water Pulse from Slowbro arched downwards. A Mist from Lapras was also apparent in the watery wonderland. May was mesmerized.

"Now." Solidad said simply, as a Sheer Cold froze the ice into place, before a Fire Blast from Slowbro smashed into it. Lapras countered with a Thunder. The two equally powerful attacks broke the ice into a powder snow, and showed off the two Pokemons abilities to learn Fire and Electric typed attacks. The Psychic showed off Slowbro's Psychic powers and hard head, while the Sing showed off Lapras' beauty.

"Wow." May gasped, suddenly a bit nervous. Drew placed the rose under May's nose to calm her down.

"You're next, you know." Drew said, withdrawing the red flower. May looked at her two pokeballs. Glaceon and Wartortle. They would make a good combination. She grinned and went off in the corridor.

"Wartortle, Glaceon, take the stage!" May exclaimed, as the Pokemon were surrounded by bubbles from a Foamy Seal, some of the bubbles were blue; others were purple for a lovely effect.

"Wartortle, Withdraw, Glaceon, get on top of that shell!" May started, as Wartortle withdrew into his shell. Glaceon pounced onto it elegantly.

"Glaceon, Aqua Tail, Wartortle, Rapid Spin!" May stated as Glaceon flipped on Wartortle's shell and landed on her tail, which glowed blue. Rings and jets of water surrounded it, illuminating the Pokemon more. Underneath her, Wartortle started spinning. Glaceon did not spin with the shell.

"Glaceon, Secret Power, Wartortle, Water Gun!" May continued as Glaceon started to glow pink, and it radiated outwards. Wartortle made multiple water guns from inside the shell. The tendrils of water spun all around the stage like a Counter Shield. The pink light reflected off the water and water guns collided, creating rainbows.

"Now Glaceon use Ice Shard, Wartortle, use Ice Beam!" May finished, as Glaceon flipped off Wartortle, who stopped spinning as well. They were back to back as Wartortle fired lightning bolts of blue onto the stage, and Glaceon created a ball of ice which was shot into the middle of the watery web. The ball of ice broke the web, making it collapse slightly and rebound outwards. At the same time the ice made it freeze, from the base because of the Ice Beam, and the center because of the Ice Shard. What was formed was an Icy Castle with rainbows trapped within. Arches and domes were apparent from the spinning Water Gun, as they were frozen from the Ice Beam before the Ice Shard could do its work.

It was the first time Brendan had seen it, and he was amazed at the skill of the Brunette. Wally and Drew were impressed still. The artistic style of the appeal was amazing. Drew readied his pokeballs, for he was last again. He strolled through the corridor, meeting May while gave him a smile that sent an electric feeling through the green haired guy's body.

"Roserade, Absol, time to shine!" Drew exclaimed, flicking his bangs, creating uproar in the crowd, as he threw his pokeballs. His two Pokemon were surrounded by stars.

"Roserade, Sweet Scent, Absol, Water Pulse!" Drew started as Roserade spun around gracefully, spreading a glorious scent across the crowd. Some fans swooned. Then clear and fresh water washed over the stage as a contrasting Water Pulse was created around the two pokemon by Absol.

"Swift!" he exclaimed as Roserade's Bouquets glowed, and Absol's horn glowed. Stars shot out of them, crashed into the water, and sent ribbons of water across the stage, while a halo of stars hovered around.

"Now. Magical Leaf and Razor Wind!" Drew exclaimed as Roserade sent glowing leaves into the stars. Absol slashed razor sharp crescents into the water ribbons.

"Drew never ceases to amaze me." May commented as she watched the performance. Drew came back into the waiting room a few minutes later, as Marian informed them that the judges were processing the people who were going on to the second round.

Soon, eight pictures flashed across the screen. Everyone watched patiently. May was there, Drew was there, Wally was there, Solidad was up there, heck even Brianna was there. Brendan and Harley were not up there however. Brendan looked on sadly and Harley started moaning again.


	21. May's not so early night?

**A/N: A whole week and a day without uploading a chapter! Oh my! **

**Yeah, the title is a parody of the episode where Dawn was in the Hearthome Super Contest. It does not imply she wins the contest. The sentence before does not imply she loses. The answer will be at the bottom of the chapter**

**By the way, I am sorry for not putting up the final battle. It was too hard and probably too epic.**

**Disclaimer: PleasedontletDawnwinPleasedontletDawnwinPleasedontletDawnwin**

**Ahem. I do not own Pokemon**

**There are a few more days till we see who will win it though**

**Seriously, the Grand Festival is taking its time**

* * *

**Chapter 21: May's not so Early Night?**

"And the eight coordinators you see here will be paired up by the computer!" Marian explained as the pictures flipped over and shuffled themselves. May was versing some random. So was Solidad and Wally, but Drew, he was versing Brianna who wished she had not progressed to the next round.

May's battle was up first. She was going up against a coordinator with a Lunatone and a Solrock with her Blaziken and her Piplup.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!" Marian exclaimed as the time started rolling.

"Cosmic Power." The other coordinator said, as Lunatone and Solrock glowed. Stars spun around them in a beautiful move. May's points lowered, and Lunatone and Solrock were stronger in the defensive apartment.

"Fire Spin and Ice Beam!" the coordinator attacked, as Solrock sent out a spinning fire attack, while an electrical beam of ice passed through it dangerously. Blaziken, who had Piplup on its shoulder bounced into the air, spinning once before May commanded an attack. The other coordinator was still winning however.

"Fire Spin and Bubblebeam!" May corrected, as Blaziken sent a spiral of flames down towards the two Meteorite Pokemon, with water within it. The other coordinator looked confused at her similar attack.

"Lunatone, Ice Beam." He ordered, for it was a male coordinator. Lunatone fired an Ice Beam, but the flames of the Fire Spin melted it, sending the attack forward, hitting Lunatone with the Fire Spin, before the glowing bubbles of Bubblebeam shot it down against Solrock. May was now winning.

"It is May's Fire and Water Whirlwind, with Bubblebeam instead of Bubble!" Marian exclaimed. She might have heard from Lillian who may or may not be her sister, along with Vivian.

Meanwhile the Lunatone and Solrock went back to back.

"Psywave!" the coordinator exclaimed, as blue rings pulsated outwards. May was ready however.

"Piplup, Whirlpool! Blaziken, Sky Uppercut!" May exclaimed, as Piplup formed a Whirlpool to hold back the psychic waves. Behind the watery barrier however, the Blaze Pokemon jumped up, and Uppercutted the Meteor Pokemon. May was winning easily now.

Drew watched his love interest with well, interest. She was a master at these combos, and he really did not take notice of these things. Her Pokemon were in perfect sync! Solidad was comforting the slightly sulking Harley once more, but also noticed the green head's enjoyment. Brianna sat nearby, jealous, and thinking of a plan to defeat her idol. If she was strong enough to defeat him, he had to respect her right?

"And May will go on to the Semifinals!" Marian announced. Drew clutched his two pokeballs, for he and Brianna were next. He sent out his Butterfree and Turtwig, while Brianna had Ursula's Plusle and Minum.

"Plusle, Minun, Helping Hand!" Brianna exclaimed as the five minutes started. Her Plus and Minus Pokemon grabbed the other Pokemon's hand, and they glowed. Meanwhile, Drew's Turtwig was perched on his Butterfree. He had an idea, and he was not afraid to say it was from Ash and Dawn.

"Energy Ball and Safeguard." Drew said, with a knowing look to his TinyLeaf and Butterfly Pokemon. Turtwig created a ball of green energy, before swallowing it, allowing grassy energy to course through his body. Unlike Wally's Turtwig, it did not know Bullet Seed, but rather, Energy Ball. The energies were focused in the same way however. Butterfree also glowed green, shielding the two Pokemon. As Marian explained, Drew was already winning with the Swallowing Energy Ball technique.

"Go, double Spark!" Brianna ordered, as the two Pokemon still held hands and jumped, encased in blue and yellow energy; yellow for Plusle and blue for Minun. However, the power from the Helping Hand made it truly sometime to reckon with. The two Pokemon also held onto electrical Pom Poms. If they hit, there would be an explosion of fireworks. Drew was more than ready though.

"Butterfree, Aerial Ace." Drew ordered as the two Pokemon raced off with green streaks towards the yellow and blue one. The two collided with a huge explosion. People wondered whose attack went though.

"Energy Ball!" Drew continued, before anyone else could see the outcome. Drew was taking a gamble too, and his gamble was proving correct. A ball of energy was hurled towards two falling Pokemon, propelling them faster to the ground. Brianna was shocked at the skill of her idol. Ursula was also amazed.

"Drew used Safeguard to deflect most of the power in the Sparks!" Marian revealed. Everyone looked in amazement at his cunning, before looking back at the fallen Pokemon.

"Plusle and Minun are unable to battle, meaning Drew will move on to the semi-finals!"

Now it was Drew's turn to be annoyed. He would be versing May, and not before the finals either. He glanced over at Solidad, who would be versing some random female coordinator. They watched as she went on the stage, with her Butterfree and Pidgeot against a Volbeat and an Illumise.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

"Illumise, Sweet Scent and Tackle! Volbeat, follow with a Zen Headbutt!" the coordinator said, as her Pokemon trailed a pink scent across the stage as it went towards Butterfree and Pidgeot. Volbeat smelled the scent and followed, his head glowing. Solidad stayed calm, and had a confident grin on her face. She had a right to.

"Pidgeot, Featherdance. Butterfree, Gust." Solidad said simple, despite the fact that her points were lowest so far. Pidgeot's wings glowed, just as a gust snatched the glowing feathers towards the Firefly Pokemon, throwing the scent off, and blocking their view. Not only that, but toxic spores from Butterfree's wings also caught onto them. That move alone moved Solidad in the lead.

"Aerial Ace!" Solidad continued, as the two Pokemon went forward quickly, through the obscuring feathers, and hit the Pokemon again with grace.

"Now. Twister!" Solidad said smoothly, as they let out a dragonic twisting breath each. The breaths easily knocked the enemy Pokemon down. Her power amazed even Drew; no wonder Solidad had three ribbons already; she had gone off to contests that threw people off track, especially if they were going around from city to city. Drew of course, had a mere two. Yes, it was only one less than Solidad, but a ribbon made all the difference.

"Volbeat and Illumise are unable battle, meaning Solidad will go on to the semi-finals!"

"That was a quick win." May said in an impressed way. Solidad was really good at double battles it seemed. Solidad grinned. Wally gripped his pokeballs tightly. If he defeated his opponent, he was up against Solidad. He would have to combine both battling and beautiful moves to even have a chance to defeat the powerful coordinator.

Wally was annoyed. The others had gotten more graceful Pokemon, but the Magmar and Electabuzz he was against had a good chance of running for his money.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

"Ember and Thundershock!" the other coordinator, who was male cried out, as the two counterparts shot out weak but beautiful attacks of equal strength. Pellets of fire with electric shocks abound. In Wally's opinion, this was a very unwise choice with Flygon around.

"Safeguard and Dragon Dance. Flygon, defend!" Wally ordered with his trainer like tactics. They both glowed green and danced beautifully, dodging the flaming pellets with ease. If any stray bolt of lightning hit them, Flygon would take the blow, which would be dulled by Safeguard anyway. Wally was winning because of that graceful yet defensive move. Dragon Dance would make them faster and stronger too, after all. Drew was impressed with his fellow grass head's style.

"Now, Sonicboom and Dragonbreath!" Wally exclaimed as Flygon shot a shock wave from his tail. Altaria attacked with a plume of green air, which was carried along the transparent wave in a crescent, which hit the ground and travelled along it, before hitting the Spitfire and Electric Pokemon. However, the two Pokemon were hardy and were still standing. Perhaps the other coordinator was also a trainer?

"Altaria, Ice Beam on the ground. Flygon, Earthquake!" Wally cried next, as Altaria fired a beam of electric-like blue ice, freezing the ground and making it slippery. Shortly afterwards, Flygon landed to create fierce tremors.

"Giga Impact!" Wally finished, as Altaria landed also. The two dragon Pokemon slid across the ice, surrounded by purple and orange. The ice made them very fast, as they collided with the two counterparts. Even the powerful and destructive move was proven to be very beautiful on the battlefield.

"Magmar and Electabuzz are unable to battle. Wally will be moving onto the semi-finals!"

"So, I will be against Drew, and you, against Solidad." May commented when Wally came back. He nodded, with a hint of graveness; how would he fair against the Grand Festival winner?

"Ready May?" Drew asked as they ventured up the corridor. May blinked. For a moment she thought he cared for her. But then he would hand her a cutting remark, or if she was lucky, a criticism that she could use to improve her technique. May nodded simply as they reached the stage and took their positions.

"Blaziken and Piplup, take the stage!" May exclaimed, as she threw her two Pokemon out.

"Butterfree and Turtwig, you are up!" Drew countered, noting the dangers of May's combo to him. Turtwig would defeat Piplup, but Blaziken would defend. Butterfree had a fighting chance, but Blaziken's fire would come out on top. If Butterfree sent it back with it's psychic powers, then Piplup could defeat it. His Turtwig mounted his Butterfree as usual and they took a fighting stance. Piplup was perched on Blaziken's shoulder.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

"Firespin and Bubblebeam!" May said as soon as Marian stopped speaking to them. Her Pokemon fired their attacks, first Blaziken, then Piplup. Blaziken had fired the spiral-shaped jet of fire, before Piplup, from his shoulder, fired the orbs of blue into the tunnel, and the flames sealed the front, in the shape of a comet. The attack collided with Butterfree and Turtwig before they could do anything. Drew was shocked at the massive blow in points.

"That attack could not be done, without it being in perfect harmony." Mr. Contesta noted. Drew gritted his teeth slightly at the comment.

"Silver Wind and Energy Ball!" Drew countered smoothly, as Butterfree flapped silvery scales out, covering the ball of energy that Turtwig produced. The greenish wind was propelled towards Blaziken and Piplup.

"Sky Uppercut and Peck!" May said hastily, as Blaziken slashed at the wind, breaking it up into a fine mist which Piplup semi-flew through, his beak glowing white.

"Razor Leaf and Confusion!" Drew said, more confidently, as leaves were flung towards the incoming Penguin Pokemon. The leaves glowed blue, as they hit Piplup straight on, hurling it to the ground. Drew was coming back. The two were pretty equal now. Blaziken caught Piplup though.

"Swallowing Energy Ball, Safeguard, then Aerial Ace and another Energy Ball!" Drew yelled out quickly, as Turtwig's leaves glowed after Turtwig ate the energy. Butterfree glowed green, and they went into an unavoidable attack. Turtwig readied another Energy Ball. May knew this was coming and knew Drew's flaw in his plan.

"You know what to do." May said simply, as Piplup leapt out of Blaziken's hands, and positioned himself on the stage, while Blaziken jumped up high, showing it's jumping power. Butterfree became confused, neglecting all the attacks and Drew was shocked that he had left a crucial point out.

"Bubblebeam and Sky Uppercut!" May exclaimed. She was not doing her finisher yet. Drew was a tough opponent and he would not go out because of Whirlpool and Firespin combo. So Piplup fired a beam of glowing spheres upwards, while Blaziken charged downwards, its claws glowing. They were still neck and neck and there was still a minute to go.

"Protect and Bite!" Drew ordered, as the bubbles collided with the green sphere. Turtwig was not in the sphere, and so he bit Blaziken's hand.

"Peck and Fire Punch!" May exclaimed quickly, as Piplup leapt into the air, puncturing the bubble and hitting Butterfree. At the same time, Blaziken's fist lit up in flames, making Turtwig release it, before it came hurling down. May was now winning.

"Thirty seconds to go!"

"Energy Ball and Gust!" Drew cried out, as Turtwig pushed Blaziken away with a ball of energy, and Butterfree sent Piplup to the ground. It was a tie again.

"Now!" May exclaimed. She had vowed to do the attack against Drew. And so she did. As her Pokemon were pushed away, they used Whirlpool and Firespin respectively, trapping Drew's Pokemon in a fierce some pillar of fire and water. Drew's points were lowered, and Drew gasped silently at the power.

"Time is up! May will go on to the finals!" Marian announced.

Wally wondered how he would go against the powerful Solidad. It was him with his dragonic Flygon and Altaria, against Butterfree and Pidgeot. All Pokemon were in the air. Flygon was not a flying type, but he had Levitate.

"Five minutes on the clock, so let's go!"

"Twister Pidgeot. Butterfree, Psychic!" Solidad cried out first, as a twister of dragonic energy was created out of Pidgeot's wings. Butterfree changed it's shape to one of a dragon, that twisted and turned all over the stage to dragon the dragon types. Wally's points dropped down sharply, though he had a plan.

"Altaria, Ice Beam. Flygon, Sonic Boom!" Wally ordered as Altaria froze the dragon in place, before Flygon's tail glowed, sending a sonicboom through the ice, shattering it, and hurling it towards Butterfree and Pidgeot. They were neck and neck already. Wally seemed like a natural at Contests. Drew was right about him. Butterfree and Pidgeot were weak against Ice after all. So was Altaria and Flygon, but that is beside the point.  
"Aerial Ace." Solidad rebutted, as her two flying Pokemon flew around each other, before parting. Pidgeot went upwards, while Butterfree went under.

"Now. Twister and Psybeam!" Solidad commanded, as Butterfree's eyes glowed. Pidgeot sent a dragonic tornado of wind towards them from above. Soon after, a ray of color came from above. It was similar to May's combo. Solidad had adapted it and made it her own. The two attacks collided, and it seemed like it was the end for Wally's Pokemon. But they were the Pokemon of a trainer, not a coordinator. They appeared out of the combination with grace.

Brendan was looking at his green haired friend on the screen. He admitted, sometimes she was very cocky, but loyal. He always saw himself as better than Wally, which was a big mistake.

"Sandstorm and Protect." Wally commanded. Flygon let sand fly, showing it's reputation as the Desert Spirit. It whipped around the stage violently. Meanwhile, Altaria was protected by a glowing shield. While flying types were not technically affected, it still hurt to have rocks flying at you. Flygon flew higher into the air, on a fourty-five degree angle from Altaria while Altaria stayed where she was. Through all the sand, you could vaguely see that there was a minute and a half to go.

"Twister and Whirlwind." Solidad cried, as two tornados tried to break up the sand. Both Pokemon got hit, but Wally was not taking that lying down.

"Steel Wing and Sonicboom!" Wally commanded. Flygon slashed down a sonicboom crescent through all the diminishing sand down at Butterfree and Pidgeot who dodged. However, seconds later, a glowing wing collided with them.

"Sand Tomb and Sky Attack." Wally continued without letting Solidad attack, as some sand whipped around Butterfree and Pidgeot, but they did not harm the flying types as they flew higher in the air, however, this was just in time for Altaria to swoop down, cloaked by cloudy light. By now the sand was nearly all gone.

"Thirty seconds to go!"

A minute passed quickly, and it was down to the final half a minute. Wally was winning, though Solidad's expert attacks also sniped down Wally's precious points.

"Dragon Pulse." Wally said, as two spheres of green energy came towards Solidad's Pokemon from his Pokemon's mouths/beaks.

"Air Cutter." Solidad retaliated, as shuriken-like blades of wind slashed the orbs up from her Pokemon's wings.

"Time is up!" Marian interrupted. "Now, let's see who will be moving onto the finals. It's Wally!"

They looked towards the points, and Wally had won slightly. So the final battle would be between Wally and May?

This would prove to be interesting.

Drew let the night air blow onto his grassy bangs as he closed his eyes. Wally's power was greater than he had first thought. He had defeated May in one of the most epic contest battles he had ever seen. He was momentarily pissed that the readers could not see the battle, then he realised that breaking the fourth wall was unhealthy and made a mental note to stop doing it.

Wally was not a coordinator though. He had done it for fun. He had declined the ribbon, and told them that May deserved the ribbon. She did, Drew had to admit. Now May had caught up again. He would leave her behind as usual. There were plenty of towns with contests. His emerald eyes glinted in the cooling shadows, and turned on his toes towards the welcoming Pokemon Center.


	22. Unown Keystones

**A/N: YAY! Zoey won the Grand Festival!**

**The Isshu starters have been revealed also. I guessed correctly that the fire starter was a fire pig/hog. It is all in the tail. (I guessed from the silhouette). To be frank I am not that much of a fan of them. Maybe I will be when it all comes out? **

**Anyway, this is a contestshippy chapter, though in about, four to five chapters there will be a major turning point! This one is nothing to that.**

**I might be intending to use the next major contestshipping chapter as a plot though. Because on these kind of journeys problems always seem to occur? Yeah Jessie and James are off chasing Ash in Isshu, and Butch and Cassidy only appeared in Sinnoh once, but people blasting off is so childish. And so dangerous and so illogical.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon I would tell everyone who won the Johto Grand Festival also. Then again the Johto Grand Festival would not be on the same days, as how can the judges move from region to region? I mean how many regions will this world potentially have?**

**Cloning.**

**It is the answer to everything.**

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22: Unown Keystones

"Solaceon Town! Here we come!" May exclaimed with a bounce in her step. She was determined to gain her third ribbon. Her battle with Wally was something she could learn from. That was Wally's debut after all. You had to command grace and power at the same time. Wally had good communication with his Pokemon. Mostly his green Pokemon, though it was clear he cared for Altaria and Magnezone.

They were on the outskirts of Hearthome, the best place to live in Sinnoh, and were heading towards Solaceon Town for May's next contest. She had heard that the town was very interesting too. It was en route to Veilstone, where Brendan and Wally would fight Maylene for their third badge after their loss. against the powerful Fantina. They would return to Hearthome after they defeat Crasher Wake.

They walked over several ponds, connected with a boardwalk. May had let Piplup out, who dived from pond to pond happily. However, further along the route, by the number of 209, it was not as peaceful.

"You are saying a Pokemon was unsealed and was unleased on Solaceon?" a green haired coordinator asked the Officer Jenny. The Jenny's first name was Marble. The Officer Jenny resembled a younger Jenny, though her clothes were quite different and kind of represented a Luxray; a Luxray stood by her side. Destruction stood everywhere around them. Craters from Hyper Beams were still smoking. Drew had sent out his Butterfree, who knew Protect though with its small size it would not be very useful to him. Harley and Solidad had decided to leave later so he was alone. He wished they would hurry up and come to his aid. Yes. Drew's aid; something that was very rare.

"Yes. They say that an Aura Guardian once sealed away Spiritomb. However, last year, a black haired guy named Ash Ketchum..." Marble started, reciting what she had heard.

"I know him." Drew commented. Marble was surprised.

"Both times they had Pikachu. I don't, but i am assuming that an electric type would do the job fine." Marble informed him. It was clear that she was an ambitious Officer. Drew frowned.

"Spiritomb, along with Sableye is one of the two Pokemon that does not have a weakness." Drew reminded her firmly, before a muffled gasp was heard. Drew turned casually to the approaching group. May was the one who had yelped. She was a sweet one at heart. Besides, any normal girl would have gasped at the sight of Solaceon in ruin. It was not injured majorly, but it was decent damage to the little town.

"Hey." Drew said, but before he could interact with the group more, Marble yelled as the Forbidden Pokemon hovered over head, aiming a Hyper Beam towards the group, and edging towards May a bit. Just as the orange beam was fired, Drew dived down to remove the brunette from the path of the destructive attack. Both were unharmed, though there was a crater where they were mere seconds ago. Drew thanked Arceus, before unwrapping his comforting arms from May as they were no longer in harms way. May was left slightly confused. Yes, if he did not do it she would be dead, but yet his arms were so warm so welcoming. Drew turned to shield his blush also.

"Everyone, huddle up!" Drew demanded, taking charge of their group automatically, though he knew that Butterfree could not sustain a powerful enough Protect. As if Brendan had read his mind, a glow appeared near them though and a large Swampert appeared from Brendan's pokeball. A green shield was created around them, except for Marble who was out of reach. She wanted to show everyone that she was a capable Officer; she had been the best at her Academy after all.

"Gee you are a life safer." Drew complemented to Brendan's surprise. Brendan opened his mouth to thank him for the comment, but Drew smirked as he returned his Butterfree back to its pokeball and minimized it before clipping it to his belt. May returned her Piplup for safety as well.

"I mean your Swampert." Drew explained. May was reminded of his Beautifly remarks before she turned towards the scene from behind the green shield window.

Luxray and Marble nearly got hit by a powerful Shadow Ball attack, though it was not obviously strongr than the Spiritomb's fierce Hyperbeam attack. Luxray sent out another Charge Beam, though it was countered by a Hyper Beam. Orange and yellow light flooded the area like fireworks. Spiritomb came in for another attack though. They were sent back by a sinister Ominous wind. Brendan could not just stand there. He was just itching to fight. It was best if he was inside the green bubble of Protect though. His hand moved towards his belt and traced his finger against them, in mental calculation of where every Pokemon was. Just as he was about to enlarge the pokeball however, their plans did not go according to, well plan.

In an unexpected move, the Spiritomb had departed their presence, and had headed towards a rocky temple: the Solaceon ruins filled with Unown. Swampert retracted his Protect, as they rushed towards the ruins so they could defeat the Spiritomb. There were a lot of stone stairs, and indeed, ramps to get up there. You could hear the panicked hollow steps as they raced up. By the time they managed to get to level temple ground, there were visible signs of panting from nearly everyone. Drew was the exception of course. His calm facade was top notch.

They nodded comfortingly to each other however, and continued venturing into the temple. However, as soon as they entered, something weird happened. The temple got sealed up, as its stairs retracted. The air around them grew reddish in color.

"Oh no!" May exclaimed loudly, remembering what Ash had said to her about the time they had been trapped in the same ruins. "The Spiritomb confused the Unown!"  
Brendan looked alarmed. Wally was worried. Drew remained calm. Marble _tried_ to remain calm.

The walls seemed to move in the red misty air, making everyone sans Drew afraid. Suddenly, the mist grew thicker and the place seemed distorted, like a certain Legendaries own Anti-Matter World.

* * *

"Where is everyone?" May asked in a scared voice as she felt her position shift on the floor. Drew grabbed her hand comfortingly. May blushed, and while Drew pretended not to notice, he was satisfied with her reaction. It seemed that she was not immune to his charms. Then again, he should have known as she had blushed in the past with him. Now they were alone. It was perfect in some ways. She might cling onto him in fear, but then again, this was not his ideal scene.

"These stairs are abnormal, see?" Drew told her, pointing at the stairways around them. "I think this place changes quite often. We need to get back with the others though."

May grasped his hand tighter, and he turned away to look around at the passageways intently, though this was also used to mask up his slight blush. They did not notice the Symbol Pokemon in a nearby dim passageway.

* * *

"Where is Drew and May?" Brendan questioned worryingly after the floors and walls stopped shifting, and when they realised the two were missing. The staircases and passages were altered too. Marble attempted a professional manner, though it was not a good one. He wished he was stuck with May. But she was stuck with Drew. Brendan tried to breathe in and out properly, but Brendan could not fall into habit while in this dimension. Ruby red drops of sweat began to trickle down his forehead, though it was pretty obvious it was not blood. Brendan's eyes matched well in the place anyway.

"We will have to find her and get out of here." Wally quavered, though Marble stared at them.

"We came here to defeat Spiritomb!" She reminded them, as the nearest scarlet wall waved up and down and throbbed like a human heart. Unown appeared to their surprise and alarm. Before anyone could say anything, the Unown attacked with red beams. Though in the misty atmosphere, they might not have been red. Luxray sent out a slightly crimson Charge Beam, which hit the combined red attack and served as a diversion.

"We should go!" Marble alerted them, as they ran up the nearest set of stairs. Beams were still fired at their back.

* * *

Drew and May were battling the Symbol Pokemon near them. Drew had his Turtwig out and May had her Piplup. They narrowly dodged a beam which they had identified as a Hidden Power attack, the only attack Unown could do. It was not hard to figure out. Drew wondered if Brendan was smart enough to work that out.

"Turtwig, Energy Ball!" Drew ordered, as Turtwig hurled a ball of festive energy at the Unown, though it exploded on contact with a beam. Drew swiftly avoided it while he was going backwards on the stony floor, like an Ariados, as May called out an attack. The attack was festive because in addition to the usual green light, the red mist had made it red.

"Piplup, Bide!" May exclaimed as Piplup stood in the middle of the beams, and glowed pale red, though it was not pink. It was too red to be pink. Meanwhile Drew asked Turtwig to defend with red tinted Razor Leaves.

"Now!" May exclaimed as the red light was hurled back at the Symbol Pokemon who were hit full on. Their eyes returned to normal and the area turned normal. They grinned at each other. May felt her heart flutter as his calm emerald eyes met hers.

* * *

Brendan was running away from many beams, as Marble tried to hit them to no avail. Brendan called out his nimble Chimchar to help, but Chimchar was hit straight on by three beams. Brendan used his running shoes to ferry the Chimp Pokemon away behind a series of stairs where Wally was currently crouching. His Turtwig was with him, along with his Wormadam, who had casted Protect around him.

"Green Turtwig, Bullet Seed!" he commanded, as a series of glowing pellets were aimed towards the Symbol Pokemon, who dodged with expert timing, even if they were not Kung Fu fighters. They were not fast as lightning either, when you think about it. So Marble used an electric attack, or rather, her Luxray did.

"Charge Beam!" she ordered, as a bolt of red lightning was shot at the Unown. Brendan looked at his Chimchar, who seemed fine.

"Alright, use Flamethrower!" he cried as Chimchar breathed out fire, exploding when they hit. The mist cleared and the Unown went to other parts of the ruins. They all smiled confidently.

* * *

"Piplup, Bubblebeam!" May exclaimed, as they shot it at another group of Unown. She wondered how many there were in the ruins. Beside her, Drew had ordered Turtwig to do a Razor Leaf attack. The two attacks hit at the same time, though it was not strong enough to knock them out of their confusion.

"Energy Ball." Drew suggested, as Turtwig formed a ball of energy and shot it towards the Unown, and exploded into a series of beautiful contest sparkles. They were currently on a distorted staircase that seemed to be hovering in midair, while another staircase was under it and was facing to the right, rather than to the top.

"Peck!" May cried out, as Piplup dived towards the Symbol Pokemon with a glowing beak. They were hit backwards while Piplup landed to allow Turtwig to shoot another Razor Leaf attack.

"We make a good team." Drew commented.

* * *

"Show them how a Charge Beam looks like!" Marble insisted, as a now familiar bolt of energy hit the remaining Unown and the area turned to normal. Ever since Luxray had perfected Charge Beam it became their signature attack.

"I hope this was one of the last groups." Wally expressed nervously from, behind a Protect, though he was more confident than when they first came into the ruins. The green and red barrier vanished and Brendan came out from behind it and headed towards the Officer Jenny.

"Yeah, so we can go find Spiritomb!" Marble exclaimed enthusiastically.

"We also have to find May and Drew." Brendan said while sweatdropping.

* * *

A Hidden Power struck May's leg while a group attacked the two of them, and Drew was worried for her, as he dodged yet another beam to reach her as she lay clutching her ankle.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone. May shook her head sadly, before Drew turned back to the Unown. May blushed yet again while he was not looking. He was being rather kind.

"So, Whirling Energy Combo?" Drew questioned her. May nodded, as her Piplup created a full sized Whirlpool, and his Turtwig shot an Energy Ball into the water, and was faster in the current too. The two attacks collided into the Symbol Pokemon, which snapped out of confusion and left them.

"They probably won't return to this area," Drew predicted, "So rest."

May nodded as she readjusted her leg into a more comfortable position. Drew held her hand comfortingly once more in a loving way. He basically channelled his love out through his palm. May was blushing madly now but did not feel the affection. She did not even realise his feelings for her, even when he whipped out a rose for her to sniff and calm her down.

"Keep it." He ordered her, and she nodded, as she sniffed the soothing smell of the rose, closing her eyes, allowing Drew to observe her better before leaning against the wall lazily gaining some rest too.

How long would to take to make May fall for him? He would use all the time he could, within the region of Sinnoh.

Their romantic break was interrupted by a familiar and forbidden Pokemon by the name of Spiritomb who fired a Hyper Beam at the unaware couple.

"Chimchar Flamethrower!" another familiar thing, in this case, a voice cried out, as a Chimp Pokemon shot flames into the powerful orange one. May smiled at their rescuers, and attempted to stand up, though it did not work.

"Stay down." Drew warned her as he and his Turtwig stood up boldly and smoothly. Brendan was worried, but May gave him a weak smile and sent out her Blaziken.

"Fire Spin." She ordered. Her Hoenn Starter fired a spiral shaped fire out of its mouth, and aimed it towards the Ghost and Dark Pokemon, trapping it.

"Charge Beam!" Marble Jenny cried out as she came over. Luxray sent a bolt of lightning at the stone at Spiritomb's base, or rather, the Keystone, Spiritomb's weakness. At the sight of Spiritomb winching, as much as a ghost can, they realised something.

"Fire all your attacks at the Keystone!" Marble ordered and everyone nodded. There was a Bullet Seed from Wally's Turtwig, while Drew's used an Energy Ball. A Flamethrower came from Chimchar and a Charge Beam from Luxray. Piplup used a Bubblebeam, though Blaziken leapt up, its claws glowing before it slashed down on the Keystone with a Sky Uppercut. Spiritomb's eye widened as it went back into the stone.

"We did it!" May exclaimed as Marble took the Keystone. Brendan came over to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, making Drew jealous. May did admit she preferred Drew next to him, and her feelings were tied up in a knot. The next day they would probably be calmed and Drew would have to start all over again, but in the back of her mind, May would remember.

"You can ride on Altaria to the Pokemon Center." Wally suggested, and May smiled as he sent out his fluffy winged dragon Pokemon. Wormadam used Confusion carefully to lift her up. Once she was secure she was lifted into the air and they ventured out of the ruins which were now open.

While Brendan did not notice it, Wally noticed the red rose in May's slender grasp. This was proving to be interesting.


	23. Harley Tries Again

**A/N: It is the Solaceon Contest, but it is filler because May and Drew will not be competing. This is more of a FestivalShipping Chapter. **

**From the next chapter, their journey will become a little bit slower and a tad more realistic, though they do not have a heap of characters of the day. If they went through Sinnoh as quickly as in the games, they would have probably finished their Journey.**

**The title of this chapter is based on the episode 'Harley Rides Again'**

**I am sorry i did not show any of the appeals besides Harley's, and the only battle being the final one. I suffered writers block during the time it wrote it. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, Dawn would not even be in the finals.**

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Chapter 23: Harley Tries Again

May glanced at her leg and traced a finger down her ankle to examine where the attack had hit her the day before. She noticed no sign of pain and no sign of the incident. Nurse Joys were reliable and efficient, though they told her to stay in the infirmary so she could get some decent healing time. Wally had made a wise choice to choose Altaria though, that was so soft. She was surprised that Altaria did not know Cotton Spore.

Five people greeted her in their own ways as she approached the Center Lounge. There was a raven haired boy whose ruby eyes were closed in bliss. His mountainous hat was perched on the corner of his chair. He held a half-eaten slice of toast in his hands, spread thickly with a spread May did not bother to identify. His eyes opened lazily as she arrived and he beamed at her warmly, and drew up the chair next to him, which she accepted. Brendan could hardly contain his smile but May did not notice it. Drew merely smirked into his cereal. Wally smiled nicely before commencing his ritual of buttering his toast. The other two had arrived the late afternoon before. One was male and one was female and they were in their late teens. There was Harley from Slateport City in Hoenn, and Solidad, the girl from Pewter City in Kanto. Solidad asked her what she wanted for breakfast, and May received a crispy waffle which she ate with joy. Drew smirked wider as he remembered how much of a glutton the brunette was.

The Solaceon Contest was in two days, and the others prepared to help restore the town before hand.

They finished their breakfast with lethargic flits of conversation going around, before dying by awkward silences before picking up on completely different subjects.

"Well I am going to sign up for the Contest, Drew, have you signed up yet?" May inquired after one of these silences, directing it at the teen that had stayed firmly out of their chat. He ate with style though and used his time wisely. Breakfast was a time for eating for him.

Drew shook his head, and before she could continue, he cut into her thoughts.

"I am not participating in the Contest." Drew said to May's puzzlement. Drew smirked at her expression.

"You see, you need to give your Pokemon a break once in a while," Drew explained. "You can't just go into every single Contest. After all, in all the regions and towns there is practically one everyday. Actually how come they can go to every region? Damn clones. And don't worry, I am not like Harley..."

"Hey!"

"Well how he was before, I won't join anyway. I am not a cheater." He added, ignoring Harley's shout.

Solidad and Wally glanced over at Drew to see his reaction. Solidad was not surprised that Drew's facade was firmly on his face once more.

"Well I think I will take a rest too." May said firmly as she relaxed into the couch.

"_Good."_ Drew mentally thought.

"Do you want a cookie?" Harley asked, producing a plateful out of hammerspace.

"No." May and Drew cried out in unison, causing everyone to stare at them.

"Now that was creepy." Harley commented as he nibbled on one of his cookies. Solidad took one and Harley beamed at her. Solidad turned her head away to shield her blush. Drew smirked, but Solidad mouthed 'you can't say anything.' Drew had answered with a 'touché.'

That day, and the day after were quite boring and laid back as they helped the villagers rebuild their homes. May realised how much she needed the rest, even if it was idle help in the town. But then the contest was upon them.

Hopefully not literally.

Harley, Solidad and Brianna were in the Contest, and Brianna was quite irritated to find out that Drew was not in the Contest anyway. At least she did not have to verse her heart's desire like the last time.

Drew sat next to May. Brendan sat on the other side of the brunette and Wally was on the other side of Brendan in the stands. As usual, the stands were filled to the brim. Marian was currently explaining all the usual stuff. She held up a ribbon to cheers.

"Our first coordinator is Harley!" Marian announced as she moved away from the curtains. The familiar purple haired late teen was seen from behind them.

"Ariados hun, come out!" Harley said, throwing the pokeball into the air. Ariados appeared in a storm of stars. Harley smiled widely before catching it again.

"Spider Web!" he commanded. Ariados shot a Spider Web all over the stage.

"Shadow Sneak!" Harley continued as Ariados appeared and vanished in the shadows created by the web quickly. It was very effective. Ariados also used its own shadow to vanish and appear across the stage. Drew was mildly surprised that Harley actually did well.

"Shadow Ball!" Harley exclaimed to a finish as Ariados appeared at the top, and shot the shadowy ball towards the ground through the silvery web. The ball rebounded up to the web, scattering sparkles across the stage as Ariados landed. Everyone clapped, including May, Brendan and Wally. Drew was not one for clapping and simply smirked. Backstage, Solidad smiled at the purple haired teen. They listened to the judges' comments idly.

"Solidad, do you think I got into the second round?" Harley asked flamboyantly as he came back stage. Solidad smiled at the enthusiastic coordinator as she turned her head from the screen.

"Yes, I think you did." Solidad said approvingly. Harley beamed at her and hugged her warmly. He did not notice the heavy blush on the usually calm trainer. He let go and watched some more appeals with a grin. Solidad moved away, trying to ease her unrequited feelings a bit. She idly watched Brianna's appeal, wondering absentmindedly about how far the dark peach haired girl would go to gain Drew's affection.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to meet the face of Harley, not literally unfortunately in her case. He grinned at her idiotically and in that ever so Harley-ish way of his.

"You are next Solidad." He announced. Solidad nodded and rose from her soft seat which gradually returned to normal from the dent she caused by sitting in it. She grasped the pokeball with her tomboyish yet gentle hands and smiled reassuringly at the guy in the Cacturne outfit that stood near her. He gave her the thumbs up as she left down the corridor towards the stage. As her feet echoed in the corridor, she breathed in and out slowly as she regained her posture. At last she reached the end, where the curtains were situated. Marian was announcing her.

"Let's do it!"

Drew was wondering about Solidad and her hopeless crush on Harley as he watched, glassy eyed. Brianna had done well, but in his opinion, not good enough. Solidad and her Pidgeot did very well though. Solidad never had any trouble making it to the second round. Neither did him or May. The same could not be said for Harley. He glanced over to the others during the break before the second round. Wally and Brendan were talking cheerfully, and May, she looked nervous. Drew glanced over at the girl next to him in concern.

"What is the matter?" he asked. May smiled at him meekly and turned away to Brendan. Drew felt a pang of jealousy as she started talking eagerly with her childhood friends. While May became engrossed in a conversation with Brendan, he noticed the timid yet knowing eyes of his fellow green haired yet pale sapphire eyed friend. Wally grinned and glanced over at the two others knowingly. Drew averted his peridot eyes and settled for the tinkling and refreshing laughter of May which resounded to his ears like bells. By using his peripheral vision he could see that Wally was still glancing at him.

May halted in her playful banter a few minutes later, as eight figures appeared on the board. She was happy, though she had no reason why, that Brianna had not made it. Solidad had of course a clear path to the second round. Harley had managed to go through as well. Backstage, Harley did a gleeful victory dance, which Solidad sweatdropped to.

She leaned against the nearest wall and sighed the kind of sigh one sighs at the end of a working day, one of gratitude, yet she was not she was thinking. She, like Drew, would never show that. While Drew was cool, Solidad was calm, patient and understanding, so different and yet so similar to the maturer image of the green haired boy that once cried after a dark pink haired teenager defeated him in his first contest.

"Five minutes on the clock so let's go!"

As the second round started, Solidad sank into a stupor of her feelings for the cookie loving Harley. Why did she fall for him? They were childhood friends it was true, though they were from different regions. He was an odd child, though his antics were prone to make her laugh. They went down the same path: the one of a Coordinator. She hated it, no, she loathed it when he began his cheating ways and strayed onto the darker path.

And she was determined to turn him to the light.

She had finally succeeded near the end of their Kanto journey when he got on well with May who he had hated for some time because she had said that his cookies were 'not half-bad'.

"Alright! Five minutes is up! So the coordinator who will move onto the semi-finals is..."  
She glanced up to meet Harley's charming face as he smiled brightly at her before he moved towards the door that would lead him through the corridor and out to the stage. As he left her sight, she started to blush, and her eyes started to get blurry. She had made Drew and May cry. But no one had ever seen her cry. She was a calm and collected figure who would simply retreat her salty tears and look out confidently. Her mind trailed back to the subject of the male coordinator she was rooting for in that particular Pokemon battle.

Of course, people said he was gay. His mannerisms were not very masculine in quality. He liked to call his Pokemon 'Darling' and he also liked to call his friends 'hun' or 'honey'. His poise was flamboyant and his style was girlish. There was no doubt about that.

Even when he had been corrupted by the want for ribbons, he still acted that way. It was what defined him. That was what made him Harley.

"And Harley will move onto the Semi-finals!"

Solidad blinked away the residue of salt in her eyes as she took out her Slowbro's pokeball and enlarged it. She grinned at it as she made her way to the stage. Harley was in the corridor on his way back. Harley beamed at her in his own way, and Solidad made it her responsibility to smile back too.

She would do her best as she always did. Not only for herself and for victory.

But for him.

It was so cliché and was not very logical in her circumstances, but it would do for her.

"And Solidad will move onto the Semi-finals!"

Harley found himself breathing a sigh of relief despite the fact that it was obvious that Solidad would pass the round. She was a good friend after all, despite his ups and downs in life. She was always there for him it seemed. Even though May and Drew usually travelled separately from them in Johto, he and Solidad travelled together. Seconds later Solidad exited the corridor that separated the waiting room from the stage. As usual he smiled. She smiled back, then Harley realised who was in the next and last battle for the first stage of the second round.

"Arrgh, not Hayley!"

Roughly five minutes later, Harley had started on telling Solidad to defeat Hayley whatever the cost. Solidad had found it amusing that he had vented it all out on a look-alike that probably resembled more of a guy than Harley did. And considering Hayley's girly Cacnea dress and crown, that was saying something. Hayley's Starly had evolved into a Staravia and she was using it in the Battle Round. Harley had been using his Banette.

Harley had to engage in his Semi-final battle, and asked Solidad to wish him luck, which she did. Harley won his Semi-final match. Solidad knew she would have to defeat Harley if Hayley did not get in her way.

Harley faced Solidad with a determined expression planted upon his face. Did he have a chance against her? He would find out.

"Five minutes on the clock so let's go!"

"Banette sweetie, use Will-o-Wisp!" Harley started quickly. Banette gathered blue ghosty flames between his hands and its zipped up mouth looked sinister as he did so. Soon the flames were shoved towards Slowbro, descending down like hellish rain. Some pattered down on the stage, reduced to mere lingering embers that died down after a few spurts. Solidad was not prepared to let him win though.

"Psychic." She decided calmly as Slowbro closed its eyes as the flames dove down fiercely. As the flames were already blue, there appeared to be no difference, but the flames were actually coated in psychic energy. Slowbro directed them back, and they joined as one large and wide spreading wall of fire that Banette would never hope to escape.

At least that was what Solidad was hoping before he ordered the next attack.

"Thunder!" Harley cried out in a strong and clear tone. Banette closed its eyes and sent out a powerful jolt of yellow electricity bursting through the wall of fluttering flames with surprising ease; even Solidad was surprised at the girly late teen. Her eyes flickered over to the scores. They were even. The yellow bolts ceased to exist before they hit the Hermit Crab Pokemon, as Solidad predicted, and proceeded to counterattack.

"Water Gun." Solidad returned sharply. Slowbro opened its mouth to let out a gush of water which leapt across the stage, transparent and blue, sending small rainbows to the ground while it hit Banette straight on. Solidad smiled pleasantly at the outcome. There had been a few remains of electricity on the field which Marian was pointing out in the meantime. Her usage of the water attack meant that Banette risked using Thunder because it could potentially injure it. With that single attack she had taken the lead greatly. Only thirty seconds had passed at the most.

"Shadow Sneak." Harley replied quickly, though he did not do it quickly enough for Banette to dodge the stream of water that was a very successful Water Gun. Banette vanished into its shadow a fraction later, though Solidad knew how to defeat the stealthy attack quite easily.

"Water Pulse." Solidad retaliated coolly, before Banette could reveal its presence, where ever it was. Around five seconds later, she was granted it, as Banette appeared to be drenched in the pulsating water that rippled across the stage from Slowbro. Harley was losing and he knew it though he was quicker on his feet than she thought. Seeing how Harley did not get past the Appeals that usually she never really truly witnessed his skill. Sure he had been to many Grand Festivals, but still. They occurred every year and a year was a large portion of time to become stronger.

"Thunder." Harley cried out a second after Solidad's words came from her mouth and as soon as Banette revealed itself the water crashed over it. He watched gleefully as the lightning crackled through the pool, and hit straight on Slowbro. Solidad's points went sharply down too, though she kept her lead.

"Ice Beam." Solidad exclaimed rapidly, though the electrified water had reached her Hermit Crab Pokemon already. Some bits of water managed to get frozen by the lightning look-a-like beam, though the ground as a whole was covered with the jagged icicles.

"Will-o-Wisp." Harley attempted in return, as Banette created balls of electric blue fire and pelted them towards Slowbro. With the snap of a finger however, Slowbro had used Psychic to spin around on its shell to dodge, and flitted between the frozen pillars as well. Solidad had gripped tightly onto her lead but Harley was right behind her.

Drew was awed by the fierce battle. He was sure that he had never seen Harley battle so hard. Each move was countered with such fleeting commands and flowing combos. As he understood, Harley had not obtained a ribbon yet. He must have been using up all his efforts in that one battle. They were neck and neck and if one seemed to gain a strong lead, it would be shattered sooner or later in those five minutes. Around the time he was pondering on this admittedly epic battle, there were two minutes to go. The attacks were thrown back and forth that quickly. As he watched, another Thunder cracked across the stage to be halted by a powerful Water Gun in the very centre of the stage, causing electrical steam to cover the stage like a violent storm cloud. A wave of water was hurled towards Banette a second later, with slight explosive qualities. However, Harley had commanded a Shadow Sneak to get Banette out of the way. It was a real tough battle. He glanced over at the clock. A minute and a half and they were equal. He was almost transfixed by the yellow doughnut shaped point bars that seemed to diminish by the second. His eyes flickered at the brunette and her companions only slightly; the battle could not be missed.

"Time is up!" Marian exclaimed before glancing over at the clock. "And Solidad has won by 0.5 points!"

May breathed out in awe. It was like the battle between her and Dawn at the Wallace Cup. They watched as Mr. Contesta proceeded to present her ribbon to her. It was her fourth. One more and she would be eligible to participate in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. She had heard it was different, with three different stages and only one Appeal round.

Solidad glanced over at Harley who had stayed behind despite having no need to change. He smiled at the Kanto coordinator who had won the contest he just participated it. He beamed.

"Close battle wasn't it?" Harley inquired. Solidad nodded affirmatively. She would not be forgetting that battle in some time. Harley went over to the door and gestured to it. Solidad followed suit and left out the door with the purple haired coordinator by her side. They chatted excitedly about the contest. At least Harley; Solidad merely smiled and commented occasionally,

"Well, bye guys!" May exclaimed after the contest was over. Drew was heading south again, before heading to Veilstone. He was planning to earn his third ribbon before they met again. Harley was determined as well, to gain a ribbon. His goal was to win the Grand Festival after all. Harley and Solidad had decided to skip the Veilstone Contest and go straight to Pastoria. Harley would be in several small ones to get his ribbon tally up to scratch for he still hadn't obtained any ribbons. Harley, Solidad and Drew departed with the sunset as magnificent and yet so cliché scenery adorning them. May continued to wave goodbye at their back. She would see them soon.

She could not wait.


	24. Filler Up!

**A/N: In a few chapters the rating will go up to T because the story slowly goes darker. Not very though.**

**But for now we have filler.**

**Disclaimer; If I owned Pokemon then I would hurry up and get Gen V out.**

**The female char does not look like a coordinator by the way. What is the chance of her being a trainer though? Or will Dawn go onto Isshu with Ash and Brock? **

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Chapter 24: Filler Up!

The sound of joyous laughter filled the quaint little cafe and the source of the music was from a brunette teenage. She grinned at the milk moustache that the boy adjacent to her sported. A third companion shrugged it off and continued with his brunch. The first boy, who appeared to have snowy hair licked the milk of hurriedly and wiped the access off with his sleeve. May giggled and Brendan started to chuckle.

"It kind of suits me eh?" Brendan said humorously with a tad bit of nervousness added into the mix. May grinned before going back to her own glass of milk.

A sigh of relief was heard when a girl in her young teens dropped into the fourth chair of their white cafe table. She wore a maid outfit of black which was cloaked in an apron that was bordered by white frills; the archetype of maid outfits everywhere. Her hair was short and dark ruby red and was a tad spiky, though it was still combed downwards; it was quite obvious that she was female despite her hair. Her eyes were like golden topazes. She was a bit of a tomboy. Currently her hair was shoulder length; as opposed to the shorter style she wore it in when she met Ash and friends. Two other maids were still working. One had brunette hair and the other had purple hair; they were the older sisters of the maid who was currently sitting at their table.

Autumn smiled weakly at her new friends. They had arrived at the Mountain Hut Maid Cafe but half an hour before hand, after walking from Solaceon Town that morning. There had been introductions and word of how Brock, whom the red haired maid had a thing for, was doing. They then received glasses of MooMoo Milk while Autumn had to deal with other customers. Now the cafe returned to its serene quiet though, and that was how she liked it. They had many paying customers for MooMoo Milk as Miltank were usually found in the Johto region. Autumn at her young age did not really appreciate it though. But then again she had no wish to become a trainer or coordinator or breeder or anything else.

Autumn sat up straight and looked towards May brightly as she prepared to make some conversation. Most of their previous conversation had been about Brock so she had no time to ask the present people questions about their own journeys.

"So, how many ribbons do you have?" the red head asked eagerly. When Dawn had been there she only had one ribbon. However, May pulled out her stylish ribbon case, which opened to show her two ribbons. Autumns eyes sparkled.

"Two already? Wow, when Dawn was here she only had one, and she was the runner up for the Grand Festival!" Autumn commented. May tried not to frown; how come Dawn could go into the finals first time round? May smiled warmly though and closed her case. Autumn had already swivelled towards Brendan and Wally. They showed her their two badges with pride and they had begun to talk about nearby Veilstone and their leader, Maylene. Apparently the city was hewn from rock, as was said in their motto, and they were known for the meteorites that the city was built around. Maylene specialised in fighting types and her signature Pokemon was her Lucario whom she trained with.

"So what other attractions are there?" May asked eagerly. Autumn smiled at her.

"There is a department store, the biggest in Sinnoh!" she proclaimed before entering a rather girly conversation with the brunette. Brendan and Wally sweatdropped before they discussed the fact if they would be able to reach Veilstone before dark, or if they would have to stay at the Cafe.

After May was well informed about the store, the conversation switched to contests again. Autumn had watched contests occasionally, so she did not know every contest. Autumn invited them back to their living quarters to watch the latest contest. May declined humbly and Autumn nearly laughed in happiness at her kindness. After that the conversation took a turn towards rivals, and May talked of Drew, Solidad and Harley. At this point Brendan interrupted, saying that they wanted to train out side. Autumn nodded and let them leave for a while, before returning to May's discussion about her coordinator rivals. May was talking about Solidad in detail on request, and had finished doing so with Drew.

Brendan grinned at the open meadow. He had already sent out his Chimchar, and Wally was cradling his Turtwig in his arms lovingly.

"So, my Chimchar knows Scratch, Flamewheel, Ember and Flamethrower, and your Turtwig knows Bite, Absorb, Razor Leaf and Bullet Seed. What do you think we can do with that?" Brendan asked. Wally looked thoughtful as he let Turtwig bound into the grass.

"Well Turtwig could use Bullet Seed, and while Maylenes Pokemon dodge, then he can come closer every time, until he can use Bite." Wally commented. Brendan nodded at the fact that Wally had worked out a strategy for Turtwig as they were both planning to use the two more often.

"Well May was telling me about Ash's version of Fantina's Countershield. With his Chimchar he used Flamewheel and Flamethrower at the same time." Brendan pondered, before Chimchar readied for the commands. Brendan beamed at his Chimp Pokemon who took it as a sign to start. Without further ado, Chimchar breathed out some fire, using it to roll into a Flamewheel, which went across the meadow. Further along, tendrils of fire appeared with chaotic results. The flames curled round the blades of grass, snatching away their life slowly and devastatingly, though as a brunette figure ran towards them, this would not be the case any longer. Brendan actually wondered if Smokey Ursaring would turn up.

"Piplup, Whirlpool!" May's voice cried, as a whirlpool rushed towards Chimchar and crashed into the flames. Autumn came running after and had a scolding look on her face. Brendan apologised under his breath and Autumn smiled as she had heard it. May was slightly panting at the speed she had run, for as the flames first appeared she had leapt out the door on Autumn's worry and command.

"You do know that there is a battlefield nearby right?" Autumn asked mockingly as she pointed to it. It was a normal yellowish battlefield, and it was behind the cafe. "I assumed you guys would go there."

"Oh." Brendan said, as he glanced over to it and mentally hit himself.

"Autumn, I think I will stay with these two boys just in case they get into trouble okay?" May asked. Autumn smiled and allowed her to do so. She watched them go over to the battlefield, and watched as Wally and Brendan prepared to verse each other with Turtwig and Chimchar. She smiled as May stood as referee with her Piplup by her feet.

* * *

Autumn returned to the Cafe and went into her living quarters and entered her room. She grabbed the remote and sat on her bed. She peered over to the clock. Perfect, the contest was just about to start. She turned her television on and beamed at the face of Marian, Master of Ceremonies of the Sinnoh Region. The Contest hall was painted various shades of green, mostly bright ones. This hall was similar to the Eterna City hall but this was not Eterna City, this was a city to the south of Hearthome, this was Emeragrove. After Marian finished her usual talk, a green haired coordinator came through the curtains.

Drew.

"Go Roserade!"

* * *

"Chimchar, c'mon, Flamethrower!" Brendan called, deciding to take the first move. He would probably win with the type advantage. Wally was not going to give him an easy time though, even as Chimchar breathed out a pillar of fire.

"Counter with Absorb oh Dearest Turtwig!" Wally commanded. Turtwig's leaves glowed and a ray of green light was fired towards the Flamethrower, absorbing its power, or most of it anyway, making it diminish into embers before going back to Turtwig.

Absorb may have been weaker than Mega and Giga Drain, but its power had been growing. Wally's Turtwig knew Absorb before Chimchar had learned Flamethrower after all. Turtwig's bullet seed was weaker than Chimchar's Flamethrower though.

"Chimchar, Ember!" Brendan cried out again, not realising Wally's strategy. Wally smiled his nice smile.

"Razor Leaf." He replied simply. Brendan thought he was going to use Bullet Seed. Clearly the raven haired trainer was wrong. The pellets of fire were shot out of Chimchar's mouth, though Turtwig sent an equal amount of leaves which cut through the miniature balls of fire, and becoming lit in the process of returning the fire to Chimchar.

"Now, Green Turtwig! Bullet Seed!" Wally exclaimed. Because Turtwig sent out a barrage of golden seeds towards Chimchar who had not recovered from the flaming Razor Leaf, Chimchar could not escape and was pelted by the grassy bullets.

"Finish Chimchar off with Bite!" Wally continued in succession. Turtwig jumped up and leapt at Chimchar, before biting down with the Dark attack.

"Flamewheel!" Brendan commanded as Chimchar glowed with Blaze. Fire encircled Chimchar, knocking Turtwig away.

"Absorb!" Wally tried again. A green light hit the Flamewheel and drained it of its power, however, Chimchar had known Flamewheel from the very beginning also, making it rather powerful. However, the power sapped healed Turtwig in no time. Brendan realised that his Chimchar was doomed.

"Flamethrower!" Brendan urged desperately. Chimchar belted out a powerful blaze powered Flamethrower at Turtwig, who dodged, missing the attack by inches. Turtwig ran towards Chimchar.

"Now, Bite!" Wally said just as Turtwig bit onto Chimchar, who seemed very weak. He attempted a scratch, but failed, and collapsed.

"Chimchar is unable to battle, Turtwig wins!" May informed them. Brendan sighed as he went over to Chimchar in honest concern as he assessed what happened. He was not a naive and foolish boy like Ash. Brendan was a kind-hearted yet somewhat pompous teen.

"Chimchar was hit quite harshly during that Bullet Seed rain. I think Chimchar needs to learn Dig." Brendan analysed. Wally congratulated his Turtwig happily.

"Green Turtwig! You did wonderfully! I think we should start learning Mega Drain so we can absorb stronger attacks." Wally advised. Turtwig leapt into his trainers arms gleefully. May glanced over to Piplup who looked at her eagerly. May smiled happily, in a way that just made Brendan melt, thankfully not literally.

"Let's make Peck stronger with a Drill Peck!" May suggested to Piplup's happiness.

"Nice." Brendan commented, well, nicely at the hole that Chimchar had created in his attempts to master dig. However, no Pokemon could master an attack so quickly. They usually did while defending their trainer, or the hard way. Meanwhile, Turtwig concentrated the strongest Absorb he could muster and aimed it at the Chimp Pokemon who saw it and attempted to dig away, to no avail. After the burst of green hit him, Chimchar was very weak, but still conscious. If it was a Mega Drain there would be no doubt that Chimchar would be a goner. Wally encouraged his Tiny Leaf Pokemon though, and presented him with Poffins he had made the evening before. Turtwig ate one, and Wally told him he could have more the more he practiced.

May's Piplup used Peck while spinning, though it was not fast enough and Piplup was soon dazed. May looked worried and ran underneath him, as he fell. May presented to him a Pokeblock; May was now an expert of them after all and May felt considerably safer while making them compared to Poffins. May suggested that he should create a small Whirlpool to spin on so he would not have to put much effort into it, besides keeping himself from becoming dizzy. It started to work, and May was very pleased.

All three moves had not been successfully taught though. But they were patient trainers.

Autumn switched off the television with a knowing smile on her face halfway through the trainers' training session. She was not about to tell May either. Not yet at least. She bounced over to the other side of her comfortable bed and peered out her window to see that her guests were still training on the field. They were training intently it seemed. Then Spring peeked her head inside her room and informed her that there was a lot of customers. Autumn nodded and jumped off her bed to commence her duty as a Maid in the Mountain Hut Maid Cafe.

Elsewhere, Drew waved his friends goodbye as a gentle and ever so cliché wind blew in their hair in a way that would make his fans swoon; though May would probably comment that there was nothing wonderful about grass blowing in the wind. Harley and Solidad were heading straight to Pastoria. There were twenty five days until the Veilstone Contest after all and thirty-nine days until the Pastoria Contest. He would not miss out on seeing the one who had captured his even more cliché heart. Drew was not much of a poet luckily. It was late in the afternoon but he would be able to make it to Solaceon before dark there was no doubt.

Then May would be in his sights and even so, he was determined to defeat her.


	25. At Least we have New Clothes

**A/N: My apologies for not uploading a chapter in so long. It is just that I have been given little comments making me feel if my story is unloved. **

**And the plot is coming in Chapter 27 and 28. Yes. The plot. It should have come earlier am I right? But Team Galactic came in Veilstone too.**

**Disclaimer: If I was Pokemon I might have had the decency to change the Isshu Legendaries. They are Dragon-types, just like the Sinnoh Trio. Yeah, they fit the theme of Ying and Yang but still.**

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Chapter 25: At Least we have New Clothes

Rain hammered down on their umbrellas. Around them was a soaked world, permanently lush and very used to the sky water brought down by Kyogre. The outlines of their feet were printed in the watery mud to be washed away before you remembered it was there in the first place. The angled liquid managed to get under the walking tents too. The water was wild and at times a wind stirred up, snatching their protection from their grasp to send a barrage of the transparent substance down. Everyone was soaked to the bone as they charged on, head on to the rain which collected in their shields anyway. While they shivered, their eyes darted around, in constant search of shelter. None greeted their eyes merely bridges composing of cylindrical pieces of wood strung together with string and ledges you had to look out for, or else you would trip and receive a face full of mud.

Not the best thing guaranteed.

And Ponyta were seen under the nearby trees, trying to keep their vibrant fires flickering on. Maril stood in the rain happily though. This meant that there was the occasional Water Gun aimed at them. Luckily they all missed for the group was running as fast as they could without collapsing on the ground. They clambered onto a mound of higher ground to survey if there were any nearby settlements. This time their eyes visibly brightened when they spotted a large building nearby.

The only way they could get there was by going across one of the soaked wooden bridges. Brendan went on it first slowly, and May went on next. She was hesitating; when she put her foot down the bridge wobbled slightly. Very slightly but in this landscape it meant all the difference. Brendan used his free hand to stretch across his umbrella canopy to hold onto May's hand. He blushed slightly as they held hands. Wally was not far behind though as they navigated the logs before they met solid yet slippery ground.

They continued hurriedly as they reached the trees again, and managed to scramble through them. Soon a path emerged, yellow in color. It too was muddy, though in a lesser quality. Water trickled from the top of the gradually becoming steep hill. The rain began to clear, but as they looked back, they saw that rain was still pounding down on the route, confusing them greatly, but they trudged onwards, and lowered their umbrellas. By now it was not raining and the building was apparent. May recalled Dawn telling her about the friend that was there: Leona who bore a hairstyle similar to Kenny's.

As they attempted to dry their clothes, the brunette in question came out with a smile.

"Welcome!" Leona exclaimed, stretching out her arms. Overhead the sun shone brightly. Brendan glanced at it before averting his eyes. Remember kids; never look at the sun directly!

None the less, Brendan was quite puzzled.

"Why is it not raining up here?" Brendan blurted out to Leona's proud grin who was probably asked the question many times before. So she recited her answer.

"Our hot springs are enjoyed by every species of Pokemon!" Leona replied patriotically. "However, this area is home to many Psyduck and Golduck. One of their abilities is what we call Cloud Nine, which neglects weather conditions, providing us with nice days all year round!"

"Wow." May exclaimed awe. Leona looked over at her.

"So you must be Dee-Dee's friend." Leona stated. Dawn had kept in touch with her; after all, Leona was a childhood friend to Dawn, along with Kenny. They were to Dawn like Brendan and Wally were to her.

"Yeah, I'm friends with Dawn." May answered even if Leona had not asked her. She had stated it. Because of an incident involving a Minun and a Plusle, Leona and Kenny now called Dawn Dee-Dee, which to May made no sense. When they talked in Japanese they would say Pikari, as Pikapika was onomatopoeia for sparkling.

"I think you guys need some time off, the Hot Springs is this way, and the changing rooms are over here." Leona informed them, strolling away while pointing to a building. Nearby, steam rose.

* * *

May leapt in with her green bathers on, causing a large splash. She turned to look at her Pokemon. Blaziken decided not to jump in, while Wartortle, who had stayed on her team, jumped in straight away. Venusaur thumped over to the edge of the water and jumped in, causing a small earthquake and large waves crashing about to May's amusement. Venusaur decided to relax at the bottom of the onsen. Glaceon delicately pounced in, and Piplup dived into the water. Beautifly daintily landed on one boardwalk. Larger tremors could be felt as Rhyperior and Aggron stomped down to the Hot Springs with Brendan. His Chimchar scrambled around, but decided not to enter the water, being a fire Pokemon. Brendan's Swampert swam through the water smoothly and Shiftry relaxed into it.

Wally had a hard time deciding which Pokemon he should send out to enjoy it. Leona's Hotel had a device for obtaining Pokemon from elsewhere after all. In the end he sent out Sceptile, Gardevoir, Altaria, Flygon, Wormadam and Turtwig who all enjoyed the sauna.

"This is awesome!" May exclaimed as she floated on her back. Piplup floated along side her. A withdrawn Wartortle spun past them.

"Isn't it?" Wally agreed as his head emerged from beneath the water with his hair soaked and his pale sapphire eyes sparkling. Ever since they left the Café and headed on the route, it was raining down hard. Brendan had left earlier to do an errand, but came back before they left. He was now relaxing too. They had thought it was rather peculiar, but dismissed it as training. He was not as obsessed as Ash Ketchum, but he did like to train quite a bit. Leona walked over to the Hot Springs, fully clothed though.

"I would like to inform you that there are three passages to and from our Hotel. One back to the Mountain Hut Maid Café…"

"We should have been alerted earlier!"

"The one you came up and one to Veilstone." Leona finished, ignoring Brendan completely. May beamed at her as she swam over to the edge.

"So they are mainly rain-free?" May questioned. Leona nodded at the fellow and older brunette before she left the edge with an underwater summersault; five seconds later she surfaced somewhere in the middle of the very large Hot Spring Swimming Pool. She was thinking about her upcoming Veilstone Contest. Yes, it was in a week, but that was very close! She hummed to herself as she floated. She glanced over at Brendan and Wally, who were now discussing tactics. She smiled to herself. She may as well enjoy the sunlight while she could.

* * *

"Alright! Veilstone!" May whooped as she raced to the bottom of the hill the next day, creating a small sandstorm at her feet. Brendan caught up with her with his prized Running Shoes but Wally was not very lucky; he still had weak lungs even if he had been cured of his illness. They waited for him. He thanked them and they walked down more slowly. However, once they reached the stony city, May raced over to the colossal building that was the department store. Brendan looked over at Wally, who shrugged.

"Fine, let us give May the day she wants." Brendan grumbled. Wally chuckled slightly.

"There are bound to be stuff for us in there too you know." Wally reminded him before heading over to the brunette figure standing out the doors. They muttered a few words to each other before the green haired Wally shouted out to Brendan.

"Meet us on the rooftop when you are done!" Wally informed him. Brendan glanced up the store and gulped. When he lowered his head they were already gone. Brendan sighed in defeat and went up to the glass doors, which slid open. He peeked in and decided he would face this challenge.

The challenge of the female mind.

Not that he was being sexist of course.

"Wow!" May exclaimed as her eyes sparked at the sight of rows upon rows of berries. There were Razz Berries, Nanab Berries, Nomel Berries, Wiki Berries, Oran Berries, you name it! Wally smiled his nice smile at her happiness. They were in the basement food court, where all the berries and other edible objects were. The place looked nothing like a basement of course. That would not be good for customers. The brunette coordinator was in the berry market clearly. Adjacent to it was the Bakery which had fresh poffins of all kinds and lava cookies and RageManju or buns. Some crazy people thought those things were candy bars. However, they were clearly steamed buns from Mahogany Town in Johto. That place did not snow though, despite being in the north. The buns appeared to be very popular. When an old man turned around, Wally gasped in surprise.

"What is wrong, Wally?" May questioned as she paid for her bagful of berries and peered at the bottom as if the bag would break any second. Wally gestured over to the old man he had seen near the bakery; it was Professor Rowan. Next to him was his assistant, Lucas who was a good friend of Dawn, she had heard. May wondered if the professor remembered them. Could he remember every trainer that came to visit him? He seemed to be a wise one. Of course he was a wise one. He was one of the best Professors there were around! Apparently Professor Oak was his junior in terms of intelligence and rank.

"Oh May and Wally!" he said joyously.

It seemed like it.

"Professor Rowan!" the two of them chorused together. Lucas went over to them.

"Hey, I am Lucas." The navy haired trainer introduced, holding out his hand to shake. May shook first, and Wally followed suit. The navy haired trainer had a grin on his face.

"If what Professor says is right, than you are friends with Dawn Berlitz?" Lucas asked the brunette coordinator in a calm and clear voice. A grin crept onto her face. An evil one too.

"If what she says is right, than you have a crush on her." May chanted. Lucas did have a blush on his face.

"Eh, I heard she is popular with the guys…" he mumbled nervously, lowering his head and examining his shoe like it was the most interesting thing present. He was right though. How many people were Dawn paired with? Paul, Ash, Kenny, Barry, even Gary, Brock, Zoey and…

She winced.

…Herself.

But then again, Zoey and she were not guys so that did not matter.

"So Wally, where is ?" Professor Rowan asked. May refrained from sniggering at Brendan's nickname. It was so formal and Brendan was anything but. But of course! That must have been why he recognized them; through their fathers. Hers and Brendan's anyway. Poor Wally was left out.

"He is upstairs somewhere." Wally gestured roughly by pointing at the roof causally, wondering if he had gone straight up to the top floor.

"Ah." Professor Rowan exclaimed. "I am here simply for the buns. They are my favorite food ever since I went over to Johto to meet up with Professor Elm."

The two of them nodded kindly. They noticed that Lucas was checking his Poketch with a frown.

"Professor, I am afraid we have to go. We said this would simply be a fifteen minute break…"

Professor Rowan looked surprised at his assistant.

"Well! Time flies by so quickly! We better aid Samuel's grandson on his latest mission. Bye, May and Wally! Say hello to Brendan for me!" Professor Rowan said with a chuckle. Lucas nodded as they ascended up the elevator and thus departed from the store.

"What are we going to do now?" Wally asked after they had eaten their lunch. Soon he wished he did not ask as a sinister grin appeared on May's face. Soon after he felt his hand in hers, and he was being dragged to his feet and slowly towards the elevator.

"We are going shopping for new clothes! I bet Brendan would get mad if I got his outfit dirty." May chanted in a happy yet evil way. Wally gulped as they rose to the fashion department.

"And I heard that Dawn was the fashion obsessed one." Wally mumbled.


	26. Foreshadowing

**A/N: I decided to change the rating one chapter earlier because the title of the chapter is called Foreshadowing you see?**

**The plot comes next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing interesting to say for my disclaimer. I do wonder about how shippy the upcoming episode about Kenny wanting Dawn to travel with him will be. Ash will win though of course. Drew should have done it because of his power though.**

**Quite simply, I do not own Pokemon.**

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Chapter 26: Foreshadowing

There were nineteen days till the contest and counting down. When May and her friends arrived it had been exactly three weeks. Now Drew had gone over to that Maid Café and was promptly teased a bit by that girl, Autumn was it? She had the notion that he had a crush on the brunette who had gone past two days beforehand. Damn, she must have told the girl about the roses and interpreted them in that way. Roses were his signature, though he did have that deeper meaning about them towards May.

So he had spent a whole day explaining to her about the symbolism of his roses and the relations he had with May's other rivals.

To make matters worse, a mob of fans had found him the following day and he was forced to run onto the rainy Route 215. Luckily they ran away because they were screaming about the state of their hair, like Dawn, but not before some of them swooned that Drew looked so sexy in the rain.

Because that was what happened to cliché hot guys; they also had wind blowing through their hair.

Not that he minded of course. It was just that the only girl he wanted was the one who was so dense to not realize his feelings for her. Not to mention, she was a tad more immune than the others, to his charm. He could make her blush though, and that was a good start.

And after that he went to the Hot Springs Hotel he knew was located there and found out that the daughter of the owners, Leona knew May.

After her huge shopping spree two days before hand, May had gone causal to relax a bit. She wore a light sapphire empire waist top with spaghetti straps. It had multiple thin layers of material that flowed ever so smoothly. Underneath she wore midnight blue leggings that made you wonder if they were blue or black. She held it together with a silver belt. She had tied her hair up in a pony tail and added a blue headband for good measure. She wore thongs on her feet and silver bracelets on her wrists. She was no poor girl. You see, an amount of money was processed to your contest pass every time you won a contest. If you won a battle too, you would mysteriously gain money. No, you did not gain it from the trainer you battled, because quite frankly, that would be awkward.

Besides, she was the daughter of a Gym Leader and they were rich. She heard that Misty had a massive swimming pool she cooled off in her breaks.

And summer was beginning to show up anyway.

It was in that state of causal clothes that Drew found her. He had ogled at her and cursed his hormones. He admired her chocolate spun hair and her crystal-like blue eyes. He also hoped that when his voice broke, it would still be desirable; because this is Drew we are talking about anyway. At that point, May turned towards him, her ponytail giving out a little swoosh. Her eyes widened at the sight of the person who had approached her, before she closed her eyes in a grin. To his surprise she opened her eyes again and posed like Dawn did when Kenny first saw her in her contest dress.

"How do you think I look Drew?" May asked. Drew blinked. She was_ flirting_ with him? Yet this was May. Because he had to maintain his visage, his brain went on automatic.

"Why do I care? It is not like in a Pokemon Contest you have to show off yourself." Drew said as he mechanically grabbed a rose from his Hammer, or rather, Rose-space and inhaled its sweet scent. He had given her another bit of advice. Once Solidad had commented to him that he enjoyed helping May, but had a weird way of hiding it. But he was her rival! They had become rivals! Millions of other girls might have enjoyed knowing Drew personally. But not her! He pushed her limits so she would push back. Yes, using anger was dangerous, but this was not anger, this was determination just like all rivals should have! Perhaps she was not dense, but rather she was blinded by her willpower to overcome him?

Maybe it was a combination of the both.

In reality, May was giggling.

"That is just you!" May claimed through her little fit, and Drew realized that she was toying with him.

"_She looks cute when she laughs."_ He thought, and then mentally hit himself. Of course she did! May was also one of those girls who looked cute when they were angry. His subtle pieces of advice made her angry, and had the side effect of making her appealing to him. Then again he was going through a hormone powered section of his life.

Then he accidently let his cool demeanor slip and started to laugh along side her, causing her to be rather confused she recovered quickly, and Drew turned back to his usual façade once more.

"So, how is your Turtwig going?" May asked, changing the subject to the Sinnoh starter that Drew received. Drew smirked.

"Ah yes, he helped me win the Emeragrove Ribbon." Drew claimed arrogantly, flipping open his ribbon case to reveal a very green ribbon alongside his other two. So Drew had gone one step further again! She would win the Veilstone Contest for sure! No one was going to stand in her way!

"My Turtwig now knows in total, Bite, Crunch, Tackle, Withdraw, Razor Leaf, Energy Ball, Absorb and Mega Drain." Drew recited. May was amazed for a few seconds. Eight, four more than Wally's. Then again, Tackle and Withdraw would probably be easy to teach. Crunch was a stronger version of Bite. Mega Drain was the attack Wally was planning on teaching his Turtwig too! Yet by the sounds of it Drew had cruised through the battle stage by using his newest edition. Then again Drew was prone to boasting in the calmest way possible.

"Turtwig is really powerful, but what can you expect from me?" Drew continued proudly and yet so calmly.  
Drew tucked his rose away, and May found herself yearning for it, though she did not know why.

"May, Drew!" a familiar yet slightly dense voice rang, as the two looked towards Professor Birch's son. Wally was beside him, and noted that Drew did not want Brendan to set eyes on the rose in his hand a moment before. May turned to smile at the raven haired and other green haired teenager and waved.

"Have you been practicing hard?" the brunette questioned him and was replied by a cocky grin. Brendan never smirked, he always smiled in a pompous way.

"I bet I can defeat Maylene." Brendan boasted. "I am using Chimchar, Aggron and Swampert."

"I will be using Sceptile, Turtwig and Altaria." Wally mentioned.

"So, both using your Hoenn and Sinnoh starters?" she asked with an eyebrow raised. The two boys nodded, even if Brendan nodded a bit unsurely, like he did not realize it until she mentioned it. Drew laughed at Brendan inside his head.

"So when are you battling her?" Drew asked curiously.

"Tomorrow."

"Ah."

Drew turned around sharply to turn away from them. His hair whipped into place stylishly.

"Well I am practicing for the Contest, so bye." Drew informed them without waving goodbye to them. Brendan nodded. He saw that Drew was a dedicated and critical coordinator who was clearly powerful.

"Hey, can we have a battle some time?" Brendan yelled after him. Drew glanced over with his dazzling green eyes and inspected Brendan as if he was seeing if the raven haired was worthier than the other raven haired boy, who was from Kanto.

"Later today." Drew enlightened Brendan, and surprising May. Since when did Drew show others his technique? He trained late at night most nights, even if he trained sometimes during the day anyway.

With that he vanished into the forest, towards the rainy route Brendan dreaded. He was sure he would not be disturbed.

"Well, let's get back to training. Maybe it is too early to fight Maylene, Chimchar has not mastered Dig yet." Brendan muttered after the green haired coordinator had left.

* * *

On a grassy and rather windy hill nearby, two figures stood face to face, while another watched. One of the figures had short pink hair, while the other seemed to be a blue and black Pokemon; A Lucario. The third person had orange hair tied back in two spiky and fierce piggy tails that were at the back of her head as opposed to the sides. The hairstyle was similar to Misty's, but this is not Misty. She was watching the battle with great interest.

A ball of blue energy was fired towards the bare footed trainer at such speeds that made the blades of grass ripple as if a gust of wind had blown across it. The pink haired trainer dodged it though with a swift jump, just before it hit and when it indeed it, there was a small turquoise explosion. The Lucario leapt up too, and prepared to hit with a Close Combat. Before any blows could hit however, a sphere of energy greatly similar to the one that was fired at her was sent from the clearly _human_ trainer. The three present were not alarmed in anyway though and acted if that was certainly a normal act. Even at a close distance however, the Lucario managed to hit it back with its tail which narrowly missed the human before coming back like a boomerang. The two leapt up again as it trailed down to earth and narrowly missed the observer. A Bone Rush was created within the Lucario's paws, a glowing blue rod that morphed into a stick-like bone. The pink haired trainer dodged it with inhuman speed and it was clear that she was not an ordinary girl, if that Aura Sphere had not been a clear indication. Then she dodged a little bit further and before their battle continued the battle ceased with a curt nod.

"That was a good battle." The pink haired teen praised. Lucario nodded, and they turned to hear the sound of four fully grown men in Black Belt outfits race up the hill.

"Maylene-Sensei is so good!" They praised, and the Gym Leader smiled at their usual goofiness, for this was Maylene, the Gym Leader for Veilstone, and Lucario was her prized signature Pokemon.

"Let's go back to the Gym, shall we?" Maylene questioned the orange head who nodded.

* * *

"So, shall we begin?"Brendan questioned as he enlarged and threw up a pokeball. He had already trained with his Swampert and Aggron. A light flashed out as his Chimp Pokemon appeared. He raised his fists in determination, and turned to look at Wally and May who were standing to the side of the battlefield. He gave them a smile before turning to Chimchar with the same smile.

"Shall we see the strength of your Flamethrower?" he suggested. Chimchar nodded before he turned towards the yellowed field. Chimchar inhaled before letting out a plume of fire from his mouth as he jumped into the air with skill, allowing the fire to propel him higher. It also probably dealt a decent chunk of damage too of course. Brendan grinned and gave his Chimchar thumbs up before taking out a small package of Pokemon Food. Brendan was quite helpless at desserts, though he could cook savory dishes because his father had insisted on it so he could help Pokemon if he chose to follow in his footsteps.

However, Brendan had no wish to be mauled by a Poochyena.

He beamed as his Chimchar ate the small pellets up before looking ready to train some more for more treats. Brendan wondered what attack he should see next. His eyes brightened. He really needed to train Chimchar's speed because Maylene's Pokemon were probably swift in their attacks. He would revise Flame Wheel and continue with Dig.

"Flame Wheel, let's go!" Brendan cried. He saw that it was important to exercise attacks out of battle just in case the Pokemon was not efficient in the attack. Chimchar nodded before he released fire out of his mouth while at the same time he started doing a summersault. Chimchar was then coated in flames, and started rolling across the field quickly. The basic concept was executed perfectly in Brendan's eyes.

"Now, let us see how sharply you can turn!" Brendan ordered. His Chimchar stopped, before he started off again and turned sharply, that is, quickly and without letting go of the attack. Brendan was certainly happy with the progress with his Sinnoh Starter. After half an hour he decided that his goals had been achieved with Flame Wheel.

He decided that he needed to train Dig though.

* * *

"Chimchar, try to dig a deeper hole." Brendan ordered in the nicest way he could. His Chimchar smiled at his trainer despite the hardships of learning Dig. He wanted to please his trainer, and Brendan was pretty nice anyway. Chimchar feverishly scratched the ground to no avail. Brendan frowned slightly. They had already trained with Dig for a few hours already.

"Let's try a different approach. Use Flamewheel and Scratch to ease learning Dig." Brendan suggested. His Chimp Pokemon breathed out fire which curled around surrounded him with tongues of fire as he scratched at the ground with flaming fingers while moving at the fast speed that Flamewheel provided, even if he was staying put. It worked better, and managed to create a hole the same height and size as Chimchar, but it was not fast enough and when Dig was executed properly tunnels could be dug in and out of the battlefield to catch the opponent unawares. They had quite some practice ahead of them.

"Looks like you are in a bit of trouble." A familiar sneering voice called out, though it was kinder then the tone he used when he first met May. Brendan turned to the other green haired guy and nodded.

"I think you need to work on a softer substance first, like sand." Drew commented and recommended. They were lucky that such areas could be found relatively close to their current location.

"You could down to Lake Valor or Pastoria Beach." Drew pointed out.

"That is a good idea!" Brendan exclaimed at the green haired coordinator and if it had been anyone else he would have hugged them. May was amazed to hear no snide and cutting comment escaping from Drew's mouth. In fact, the two seemed to be going well now. May had not forgotten their little fight in Jubilife. Yet between those two hot heads, she could never think that their arguing days were over.

"But, now would be a fitting time to have our little battle." Drew reminded him. Brendan's expression turned eager, in a way that reminded Drew of Ash. A wide grin was on his face as he delighted in the fact that Drew had remembered. May shivered as the disturbing thought of Drew and Brendan being a couple swept through her head. That was very disturbing.

"So bring it on!"


	27. Destiny and Deja Vu

**A/N: The start of the plot! yay, this story now has meaning! Of course it does not seem to be plot yet. It seems to be more interesting, but the plot does not seem to be completely there yet. Don't worry, all will be revealed in due time.**

**Namely next chapter.**

**More Isshu Pokemon has been released and the prof has also been released. I am not THAT fond of the Isshu Pokemon as i mentioned before. I swear they change the art style every single generation. Well, Gen I and II were roughly the same, but the rest are rather different. III and IV are kind of the same but V really is different.**

**Disclaimer: If i owned Pokemon the Pokemon in Gen V would be changed in appearance.**

**Chapter 27: Destiny and Déjà Vu**

An ominous aura hung over the city as the sky in the afternoon plummeted to a shadowy purple. What seemed like an enormous Aurora Beam illuminated the sky sinisterly. Everyone turned to look at the purple and pink veil that hung over the stone city. Get it? Veil Stone? Veilstone? Oh never mind.

The battle was canceled in an unspoken way as the citizens and fellow trainers gaped at the glowing astral curtain. In the middle of it, a red and green speck could be seen. People peered at it, and when it was identified, it was already too soon for it sped towards the city at an alarming speed.

It was Deoxys.

Stupid Déjà vu.

But it was a different one. The other one that had come to LaRousse had been motivated by finding its friend. While this one seemed positively murderous.

They were royally screwed.

The speed of this particular Forme of Deoxys could be accounted for the Forme it was in, which was of course, its Speed Form, which possessed dark grey skinny legs that did not seem to possess feet and a dark grey body to match. In the center of its chest was a purple stone which had been polished and shone menacingly. It had two thin tentacles, one that was green, and the other was orange. Deoxys had a long and pointy head for speed, and its orange and green armor had been mostly removed so it could move faster.

"The aura is so overwhelming." The orange haired woman from before muttered. Her head was clutched between her hands and seemed to be visibly in pain. Maylene looked thoroughly worried for her companion. Lucario stood on her other side and had placed a paw under the woman's chin to raise her head. They were inside Maylene's Dojo and her Lucario's black ears stood up on end while the orange haired woman seemed to be in agony from the strain of her powers. Suddenly, a shrieking yell rebounded through the sturdy Gym. The four Black Belts jumped up to prepare to fight with fists against fists as well as feet against groins. Maylene had also sensed something, though she was not in as much pain as their companion. Maylene opened and peered out the door of her Gym to see the scene of destruction, and the Deoxys that lorded over the fight. The orange haired female strode over to observe the city too, and was shocked at the devastation that befell her eyes.

"We need to deal with this, and we have all the trainers and occupants of this city." Maylene reminded her firmly. "This is the third largest city in Sinnoh remember?"

The orange haired woman nodded before her headache returned though she clenched her teeth and bared it well, as her eyes glinted confidently and bravely. Maylene was a very hardy person. She sometimes walked up to Snowpoint with bare feet. She endured cold well and endured the painfully powerful detections her brain found well too.

The Deoxys pulled people in like a powerful magnet. Soon the streets were crowded with eager and indeed naïve trainers who wanted a go at capturing or at least defeating the legendary; clambering to wait their turn in the disfigured and metaphorical line. They seemed hypnotized and transfixed by the appearance of the psychic type, glinting up high in a deadly promise. As mentioned before though, the Deoxys was rather murderous in nature and temperament. A rainbow colored orb of energy was being charged between its two tentacles. When a few attacks came flying at it, it took them like they were mere flimsy attacks. The attacks merely bounced off, or they were reduced to firework like batches of powder. After a while however, the Deoxys got annoyed and charged up a Hyper Beam from where its mouth should have been. A powerful trail of orange light struck down in the center of the Battlefield, forming a crater like a meteor streaking across the twinkling night sky to burn its imprint upon the mortal ground. Gritty astral dust mingled with earthy dirt rose up to sinister smoke. The gang had since fled from the field for a closer position. There were violent flashes in the obsidian sky as clouds of onyx rolled in and gathered as if they were herded by a shepherd, or indeed, Deoxys. While the Psycho Boost was still being charged, thunder began to down chaotically from the abyss of blackness above, outlined by the purple curtains that signified the presence of Deoxys. Important buildings seemed to withstand the barrage of powerful attacks that followed, because they were clearly regularly attacked by attacks from within and the occasional one outside. Deoxys did not seem to mind however. It concentrated on attacking and probably killing, while its head turned around like it was trying to locate something.

After a short break for surveying the city, the Speed Forme Deoxys fired another few but weaker Psycho Boosts which destroyed buildings easily but used less of its powerful energy. Even by using the strongest attacks of its arsenal multiple times did not seem to tire it. The streets were chaotic, especially when you had to remember that people could die from Pokemon attacks. May hoped that the streets would not be piled with corpses the next day, but that became the least of her worries as the crowd hustled and bustled and she lost sight of Brendan and Wally as she drowned in the sea of people. Haunted shrieks were filling the air around her. It was all so chaotic and wherever the Deoxys decided to aim its attack, it would be guaranteed to hit something or someone. May's sapphire eyes seemed to have facets cut into them by a master jeweler for they reflected dozens of bright colors as she watched, too scared to even move, in case the Deoxys noticed her in the crowd.

But as she was thinking about those things, a hand that felt surprisingly familiar grasped onto hers, and tried to move her from the crowd. It was warm and promised a sense of security. Against the violent winds starting to brew in the cauldron that was Veilstone, it was a clear contrast that made it more assuring. It was hard, as the people had unpredictable patterns of moving. Sometimes they went forward to see the Deoxys, others tried to escape in multiple directions. Even in the turmoil, she noticed her savior had short green hair; bright green hair in fact, that she could notice anywhere. Drew was quickly becoming her Knight in Shining Armor it seemed, after the Solaceon incident at least. She found herself blushing and did not know why. Her mind went off track as an electric beam narrowly missed her right ear and unsettle her hair. She felt Drew attempt to navigate the sea of people quicker which was nearly useless.

It seemed forever until they reached the edge of the mob and breathed fresh air, but they were far from being out of the woods. The Deoxys noticed them and shot out a Hyper Beam. Drew led her back into the crowd, and once Deoxys moved into the next street, Drew yanked at her and they ran into the nearest doorway, which barely covered their get away, though it in fact worked. They peered at the DNA Pokemon a little bit longer as they watched the Pokemon grow more tired as Deoxys exerted its pressure. Once he was sure that Deoxys was not going to search for them, Drew grabbed May's hand tighter, making her yelp slightly, though that drowned in the ocean of noise quickly, and so they ran down the street they were situated on. Four legs sounded against the concrete floor. Green and brown hair mirrored the wind that rustled past them that late afternoon. After all, the darkness had come abruptly and suddenly, mentored by the purple shroud hanging in the sky.

Drew was afraid, and he did not what to admit it. The green hairs on his neck stood on end, and he knew for a good fact that the brunette with him was scared. They were still holding onto each others hands, and her grip was tight, like if she let go, she would fall and be swallowed by the earth; like he would vanish as soon as they were not touching; as soon as she averted her eyes. So she kept looking at him, who till managed to keep quite calm. His emerald eyes glanced over at her sapphire ones and managed not to blush. This was a serious situation. The City of Veilstone was a labyrinth of stone and metal. Their shadows were silhouetted across the walls of the many buildings, and their scared faces were reflected on the sinister windows. Their foot steps were hollow, but Deoxys was nowhere to be seen now. The pained screams had eased down too. They had gone away from the center.

They did not dare to stop running though, not until the sounds had gone. The silence hung in the air eerily though. It lingered like a twisted creature, ready to pounce down on the duo. But they did stop running, and they fought to catch their breaths though they seemed to be choked in their parched throats. Yet, it was impossible to have cracked mouths in the cool atmosphere with winds whipping around like waves upon the ocean though they threatened to become something horrible. Sweat gleamed like moon-illuminated pearls before they lingered too long and rolled towards the ground, leaving behind a trail akin to one like a snail's. Drew turned his handsome head towards the center again, and saw Deoxys. Deoxys would not have been able to see them, but they could certainly see where Deoxys was; perched at the very heart of the city, in a grassy field bordered by a fence and with glowing lights illuminating rocks. Meteorites.

The meteorites had of course, came down from space and had been rumored to strengthen the power of Deoxys. Those stones were the guardians of the people, the very reason Veilstone had been born. The city had been built around them; hence why they were in the center.

That could not be the only reason, because why did it come now?

Was there a sinister plot behind this all?

May's heart thumped wildly, and Drew could feel it through her pulse on her wrist. But he knew it was not because of his presence even if he wished it was so. It was because of fear. It was hard to not be scared by the prospect of dying. Even Drew's façade had dropped. He was human. He could not die at the age of thirteen and be calm about it. They watched, hypnotized by the sight, like Buneary transfixed by Zoroa, not that Zoroa eat Buneary.

Deoxys switched into its normal form and began to volley attacks down on the people; a rainbow storm rushing over the large stony city. It was so frightening and yet at the same time they wanted to help, even if they were afraid of being shot down, forever.

"You know, you have a tendency to get lost with me." Drew commented after a while, turning his peridot eyes back to her. He had forced himself to be calm again, though he knew that May had seen his human fright. Perhaps it was Destiny that he was near enough her to rescue her.

Drew was really getting a bad case of Déjà vu though.

"Well you did drag me with you." May pointed out, finally letting go of his hand as they glanced up, useless at the chaos in the core of the city, while they stood in stony and echoing silence.

"Well I can't leave you alone can I?" Drew questioned as they absentmindedly walked further from the hub. They had run for some time, but it seemed like hours. They tried to find anything of use in the deserted buildings; it seemed like a ghost town, and was vaguely surprised at how fast they had evacuated.

Finally they found a bench to rest on, and Drew allowed her to sit first, in a rather courteous manner they glanced around at the poorly lit streets, or poorly in comparison with the amethyst sky above.

May noticed something with the scent of the wind. She sniffed the air in curiosity. It was a mixture of smoke and damp rain; a very gritty smell indeed. It resembled the ghost of the attacks past and present and forewarned the attacks yet to come. It lingered over their noses, and tried to blind them with fear greater than they already felt.

* * *

"I have to help." Drew insisted after a whole half an hour of rest, with a slight croak of agony to his adolescent voice. Since their journey started back when they were ten, Drew's voice had gradually gone lower and less childish. One day his voice would be manly and still so appealing. But it was grief May felt in his tone. They could not just stand in silence and let it roll past. She needed to know if Brendan and Wally were safe. Yes, her legs still throbbed with the running they had already done, but they had to do something. Even a single attack could help bring it down right?

He noticed the decision in her sapphire pools and grabbed her hand again, in a way that was both gruff and gentle. They stood up firmly and nodded to each other before their legs started moving again, slowly at first, before it escalated into a sprint. They raced along the streets that may as well been alleyways, lit only by lights that may as well have been yellow Will-o-Wisps. As they retraced their steps, they noticed that buildings seemed to go past faster. Rest did one good. They smiled at each other as they ran on, holding hands tightly so one of them would not be left behind though their grip was not of desperation anymore. It could even be described as loving, had May not been one of the two.

"Perhaps this day can turn out better." Drew thought, hoping that the dangerous attacks could be stopped. Clearly, as they passed the Gym, they did not notice the Gym Leader, her Lucario and a grinning orange haired woman with a pokeball in her hand.


	28. We will never be the same

**A/N: I expanded this chapter. So the explanation is next chapter. Sorry. I tried to make it more natural or it would seem that I time skipped too much and made the Deoxys invasion short.**

**Well i have decided to mainly move away from title puns like the actual series has because it has gotten a tad darker, though some chapters like the Veilstone Gym Battles will stay the same.**

**By the way, Hoennshipping will not resurface much until Pastoria, but this is to reassure those people who actually favor a more natural approach which i am attempting to do.**

**Disclaimer: I heard that for the Pokemon Black and White anime they are not using the female character (I guess I should be thankful because Rose, the name of my contestshipping offspring, kinda looks like that character because she has brunette hair and is a tomboy) but really, maybe they should bring Misty back instead before Ash starts looking like a pedophile. That's what I'd do, if I owned Pokemon. Sadly, I do not.**

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* * *

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Chapter 28: We will never be the same

"I hope everyone is still okay…" May mumbled in a nervous and slightly raspy tone after a while as they dashed towards the hill encrusted by astral stones. Drew pursed his lips in a matching nervous way, and with the slight movement, set a droplet of sweat free downwards. The brunette coordinator vaguely saw how human Drew was, she saw the emotions in his emerald eyes. She really loved those eyes, glimmering like jewels. However, how human he was, was the least of her worries. Still their hands grasped onto the other tightly so that their palms were sweaty from the tight embrace. Their pulses beat in tandem too. There was no use running away, not when you would bare the guilt of betraying your friends.

But whatever their futures held, they knew that they would never be the same again.

* * *

After what seemed to be an eternity of flashing rainbow lights, even if it was a short distance from the gym, they sped to a halt at the debris swamped area they had fled from in the first place, and turned towards the hill that loomed over in the silhouetted evening. They hid behind the corner of a building catching their breaths, not minding the drops of sweat that rolled down their chins towards their necks and downwards. Fatigue was inevitable even if they were sure they had rested well. Luckily, Deoxys had not noticed them yet, though a few stray attacks had come their way. They stayed out of sight, just in case. There was an average glow of white light from Drew's hand, which formed into the shape of his Turtwig. May decided to follow suit and enlarged the pokeball of Piplup to send him out. Piplup landed her feet confidently. As Piplup were proud creatures she felt slightly reassured.

Their eyes darted around every corner in cautious movements. There were people still fighting. Many had left, or had they died? Had they had injuries? May swallowed hard when she noticed a blot of pink hair belonging to a Nurse Joy who was with a few Chanseys trying to ship away injured ones to heal them at the Pokemon Center.

Her sapphire eyes trailed their path to the indestructible and large Pokemon Center. Quite a quantity of people was in it, though for such a big building it seemed average. The lights inside the windows and the doors of the Shopping Department illuminated the numerous people within it like ghosts. Those two buildings and the police station seemed to be the only inhabited buildings in the ghost-like city.

Even the Veilstone Dojo they had passed had no lights emitting from it.

As Drew followed May's line of sight and landed his eyes on the Pokemon Center in a stare, Drew almost felt like an idiot for fleeing from the Pokemon Center. Instinct had commanded him to do so. He tried to defend his ego with the fact that the Deoxys could probably glide down to the doors which would open and make everyone inside sitting Psyducks.

The rebellion against the Deoxys had diminished.

Drew edged May towards the Pokemon Center to keep her safe while he fought. Yes, she was a good coordinator, and he did not really want to be sexist, but men acted like that. He wanted to protect her from the dangers of the world. In all truth, he was willing to sacrifice his own life to protect her.

But May saw the peep of green and white within the small group of brave fighters remaining to defeat this pest. The two trainers, alongside their Sinnoh Starters, though Brendan had also taken out his Iron Armor Pokemon, Aggron who seemed to show no sign of fatigue as he loomed over them in a protectable manner, were on the battlefield fighting a tough battle. In a reckless move, May ran from their hiding place and towards her friends. Drew groaned in despair, and he wiped away the desolate tears that had threatened to enlarge from his emerald eyes.

Even with this loss of hope, Drew felt a rush of jealousy that was so evident in his mind, even if it was clouded with emotions. May stood next to Brendan with a half-hearted smile in the times of despair though Brendan tried to assure her.

They had stalled their injuries by running through the empty halls of the city, but that did not mean they had reached a safe zone once they returned to the place.

No it was far more dangerous and they knew it.

"Look out!" Drew exclaimed warningly and loudly as a technicolor Psycho Boost was headed straight for May and her two friends. As he rushed forward mechanically, his Turtwig automatically fired up an Energy Ball which managed to make the far stronger attack miss the group by inches in an array of rainbow sparks, mostly of green, but the radius of the attack was larger, so they were lucky to notice it before it was too late.

Drew could not longer imagine a world without May. It seemed selfish to only seem to save them because of May, but that was the truth. He had changed ever since she had entered his life after all.

The familiar sound of a Motorbike brought Drew back to reality. Perched upon it, was of course, an Officer Jenny. Beside the aquamarine haired officer and her motorbike was a familiar Legendary Pokemon, not in the sense of Arceus but as the species known as Arcanine. Several other motorbikes came into sight, at least from behind the building Drew was peeping from. They all seemed to be the same, clones even, though some had Growlithes instead of Arcanines. And there was a Luxray too. Marble was there to aid it seemed. She had been in the area after all. She was on foot along with some of the others. But could they really subdue the powerful Deoxys?

Then again, it seemed rather battered and worn down compared to when they first saw it, gliding down towards Veilstone City, heralded by the purple cloth of magnetic lights. May frowned as she remembered a crucial point about Deoxys; she knew that a Deoxys could regenerate itself.

Then why wasn't this one doing so?

There were so many illogical questions surrounding this alien Pokemon.

* * *

The sound the the motorbike motors echoed through the city as the Officer Jennies with their Pokemon rushed forward to be sent back by a swift Thunder Attack that stuck towards them with a large crack in the air; there was even a faint smell of smoke lingering in it and with it was the fainter smell of burnt rubber as the Jennies reversed and breaked quickly to dodge the bolt.

Marble and her Luxray managed to go on, because it was an Electric Type, but they were forced to retreat as a ball of light blue energy was aimed towards them; a Force Blast that shattered the ground where it did land and Marble was clearly grateful that she was not near the crater though she was close for she had no motorbike. The personality they had seen from her in the past had changed to pure determination.

Drew's heart felt heavy with guilt for not restraining the brunette to go onto the warzone for another violent bolt of lightning was aimed for her. There was a yell from Brendan before his Aggron stepped forward and took the hit before charging up a storm himself. The barrage of energy fired off Aggron though Deoxys dodged easily as it was currently in Speed Forme, though it quickly morphed back to Attack Forme to send another attack down at them.

This time it was a Hyper Beam and as it charged it, its head turned towards Drew as it realized it had another threat. He managed to restrain a gulp as the beam roared towards him like an angry Charizard. He narrowly skidded out of the line of fire, though the forceful action forced him in a crouched position.

If he could have read the Deoxys' mind it would have probably been gleeful with the prospect of an easy target. Drew glared at it before fumbling for a pokeball at his belt. He grabbed and threw it in light formed into the figure of Flygon before the white cloak of light exploded into white dust. The bolt of Thunder that was aimed towards him and his Pokemon was absorbed by the flying Flygon though Flygon visibly seemed to struggle with the powerful attack that Deoxys had mastered.

However, after a short while the attack finished and Flygon flew out of the electrical storm towards Drew who had the pokeball in his hand. Drew thanked his Pokemon and asked in the politest way he could amongst the turmoil if he could mount upon Flygon's back. Flygon nodded and Drew clambered onto the back of Flygon. His Turtwig jumped into his arms as Flygon braced himself. An attack that Drew could not identify in the haze of worry came towards them before Flygon lifted off with a majestic swoop of his wings. They took to the sky over Deoxys and easily avoided a Hyper Beam that seemed as fierce as a fire-type attack.

"Dragonbreath!" Drew ordered with desperation ringing through his voice. His Flygon obeyed his order without doubt. Flygon hurled down a blue blast of air down at the DNA Pokemon, opposing the orange beams that it often produced. Deoxys felt the blast of air though and managed to dodge just in time before sending out a Psycho Boost. It seemed more poorly created than at the start of the whole business. Drew wished wistfully for a second that his Flygon knew Draco Meteor, which was as powerful as Psycho Boost before the attack seemed threateningly close. His Flygon dodged smoothly and easily from the weakened orb of flashing colors which because of the distance it had traveled, broke down to sparkles a few metres above them.

* * *

Down below Drew, the blot of white that was Brendan had ordered another attack from his Aggron before Deoxys stopped charging another attack towards Drew and his Flygon, and redirected his energy towards Aggron and hit Aggron directly, who seemed to cringe in agony. Deoxys fired yet another attack, and the weaker impact was enough to cause Aggron to faint and forced Brendan to return his Iron Armor Pokemon in gloomy praise that had no time to take place because the Deoxys could shoot another attack at any moment of weakness.

The Deoxys began to float down, towards them in both a slow and haunting manner like it was thinking of the best way to destroy them, the last trainers who had stayed, while the other had fled. If it was human it would probably have had an evil laugh and a speech about how puny they were. But this was a Deoxys that only seemly knew to destroy.

Drew guided his Flygon to glide over towards his friends, or rather, May's friends as he really did not see Brendan as a friend. The Deoxys prepared to fire an attack, and it became clear that it was a Hyper Beam that used a lot of Deoxys remaining power and it was aimed straight at May, Brendan and Wally. Drew would obviously not be in the radius of the attack as he was currently flying on his Flygon overhead.

There seemed to be no way to stop the destructive attack. Drew felt like a blade had struck him in the heart as the orange beam came towards them. At this point he could do nothing. Piplup, Wally's Turtwig and Chimchar stood their ground in determination though they leapt up to meet the orange attack to protect their trainers. The three were enveloped within the sun of energy.

But then they started glowing…


	29. Explanations

**A/N: Sorry. My Internet was rather against me.**

**The two other ideas for the title were 'Deus ex Machina' or 'Explaining the Plot in Chapter 29'. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. I am running out of things to say again.**

**I also do not own YGOTAS (Yu-Gi-oh The Abridged Series). The second title idea will give you a clue on why it references YGOTAS.**

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Chapter 29: Explanations

Piplup's small penguin frame grew larger in the light. The blue of Piplup's head grew darker and crept downwards, just above the evolving Penguin Pokemon's chest, where four dots now appeared. His now dark blue wings were still tipped with the light blue coloring. Two golden crests came up from the beak. The cape of a tail that Piplup possessed seemed to have morphed into a tail coat like tail.

The tuft of orange hair that Chimchar possessed now became straighter and resembled a comma. The orange of his head also reached lower, to be met with a mask like markings in the color of blue and a dab of red just above the nose. The color of Monferno's skin was darker then of Chimchar. There was a ruff of white fur at the base of his neck. There was now a gold band on each of Monferno's arms. The tail had extended into a proper one, and the flame blazed fiercely.

The yellow lower jaw of Turtwig had extended into spike –like extensions. The brown shell of Turtwig had evolved into a yellow sectioned shell which had lengthened to rest on Grotle's head and longer tail. Claws now protruded from Grotle's feet. Three brown ridges were upon Grotle's shell, alongside bushes which had grown rapidly from the sprout upon Turtwig's head. The green got slightly darker too and the yellow rings circling Turtwig's eyes vanished.

* * *

"They evolved to protect their trainers." Drew remarked calmly. The three newly evolved Pokemon burst out of the orb of destructive energy around them. Grotle seemed to take the majority of the blast, though he had managed to absorb most of the energy with a Mega Drain, which he had successfully learned. After draining enough power, the Hyper Beam ceased to exist and the remains fluttered to the ground like orange embers. In its rage, Deoxys fired another Hyper Beam at them. Monferno dug away, while Prinplup managed to collide with it while spinning at fast speeds, making the beam wrap around him. Behind Deoxys, Monferno resurfaced and his fists were glowing blue with energy. Without hesitation, Monferno hit Deoxys with a newly learned Mach Punch at the same time that Priplup hit his Drill Peck. Grotle had managed to approach the DNA Pokemon despite the temporary loss of speed from the increased body weight. Grotle crunched down on Deoxys while Prinplup slashed at Deoxys with his Metal Claws, another attack learned.

* * *

The orange haired woman along with Maylene and her Lucario, raced over once all starters had retreated back to their respective owners. Wally and his new Grotle needed to train, since Wally knew that since Grotle had gained a lot of weight, he would be slower for a while to get used to it.

"Get back!" she commanded, raising her arm, which had a device strapped onto it. A pokeball shot out of it as they watched, and hit Deoxys. They watched the pokeball wobble, and heard the familiar *ding* sound. They all sighed in relief. Maylene glanced over at the group and recognized Professor Birch's Son, Norman's Daughter, and while slightly frowning at the green heads, she realized that the less pale one was the son of the CEO of the LaRousse based Hayden Holdings.

"Come with me to the Gym." Maylene ordered the four.

* * *

Four Black Belts greeted them as they walked into the forlorn Dojo of a Gym. The lights had already been switched on again to reveal the altered adjustments to the gym before the attack happened. Maylene motioned them to a table that had been arranged on the battlefield, and it seemed that Maylene had had no challengers the hour or so before the Deoxys arrived. Everyone sat down at the large table, including her Lucario. Maylene turned to the orange haired woman who placed the pokeball in the center of the table. The two were sitting next to each other and Lucario was on the other side of Maylene.

"Has he informed you if he is on the way?" Maylene questioned the orange haired woman. The woman replied with a curt nod, bringing a smile to Maylene's face before the pink haired trainer slightly gestured her head in the direction of their guests. The orange haired woman nodded again before turning to the younger members of their group.

"My name is Rui." The orange haired woman introduced as her hands absentmindedly played around with the pokeball containing Deoxys, though she did not send it out of course. "My home region is confidential stuff, but I have worked over in the Orre Region before."

"You should know that I am Maylene." Maylene assumed. The group nodded in unison.

"So, do you guys know what caused the Deoxys to come?" Drew said at last in a clear and questioning tone. Rui smiled at him even if it was a question that anyone could have asked. He had just simply worked up the courage to speak the minds of everyone else around his age group.

"It is a horrible Team." Rui started simply to the teens' surprise. Their eyes had widened at the same time, including the more reserved Hayden heir. Maylene had heard stories of the Hayden heir and about his nature, though she also knew a bit about his coordinating. Only a small tad though.

However, Drew had gone back under his façade quickly. Drew knew there had to be a motive behind the event and did not want his ego to be heavily damaged. There was no way a Deoxys would suddenly come to Veilstone and attack everyone. There were the meteorites, but when the Deoxys came to LaRousse, it was because it had lost it's friend.

"Team Rocket?" May asked first, though she doubted that they would be capable of doing such a thing. It had been the first team on her mind after all.

"Team Magma? Team Aqua?" Wally and Brendan guessed together, remembering the deeds that that team had done back in their native region.

"Team Galactic?" They all questioned, having heard about the team that dominated Sinnoh. Drew decided to stay out of the guessing. He hated being wrong.  
"Actually, it is the reason I had been in Orre." Rui informed them.

"Who?"

"A Team called Team Cipher."

"Team Cipher?" They chorused. Well Drew did not join in of course. He merely observed though he could not stop his urge to break the fourth wall.

"Let me get this straight. It has been 29 chapters and we are only just now explaining the plot?" Drew inquired, raising an eyebrow. Maylene shrugged as Rui continued.

* * *

"They found out how to corrupt Pokemon, or as they coined it 'Closing the doors to the heart' though in logic, that would kill the Pokemon in question. They mean that the Shadow Pokemon as they have been called are heartless beings that are stronger than average Pokemon because they know no mercy. This is a weird case, as this Deoxys has managed to use its normal abilities." Rui said. "I believe that for many years they have improved their technique to the point where they are indifferent to normal Pokemon to the average human.

"Then how do you know that it was a Shadow Pokemon anyway?" Brendan pointed out with a frown.

"Well you see, Maylene, her Lucario and I have heightened senses of Aura Detecting." Rui explained. "But I deal in Auras of peoples' and Pokemon's personality. Maylene deals mostly in the presence of Auras and how strong they are. Therefore she can know where her opponents are at all times. She can also use her Aura to make herself faster or she can even send it out in Aura Spheres." Rui continued.

"Oh." Brendan said in an awed tone before moving onto his next question.

"So why did you capture the Deoxys with that special machine, just to help its accuracy?"

"Actually it is a Snag Machine that used to be used by criminals, now we use it to snag Shadow Pokemon, who are owned by someone in Team Cipher already, and purify them. Otherwise we cannot capture them as they have a trainer already. You can see why it was a tool used by criminals." Rui replied just as there was a knock on the Gym door. The black 'ears' on Lucario's 'mask' perked up and it went over to the door and opened it to reveal four people. The familiar ones of the four were Professor Rowan, Lucas and…

They noticed the brown spiky hair of the teenager next to Lucas. He was older it seemed. May saw that he was around the same age as Ash and by the looks of things, he must be…

"Gary!" Brendan exclaimed. The young Oak smirked at him to show that he knew him. Gary Oak had become kinder than the arrogant trainer he was when he first started.

Their vision turned to the last one, a tall guy with black hair coupled with a high forehead and beady eyes all on a round face. The man was dressed in a large light brown coat draped over a dark brown suit. He wore a purple tie to go with it.  
"Ah yes." Maylene exclaimed when she saw him. "Looker."

The man referred to as Looker nodded and sat down.

"So why are Brendan, May, Wally and Drew here?" Gary questioned as he sat down alongside Professor Rowan. On Professor Rowan's other side sat Lucas. On Gary's other side, Drew sat.

"They were here when the Deoxys came, and were the last ones remaining there." Maylene replied. "I also understand that they were there during the Spiritomb Incident near Soleceon Town."

May's ankle gave a little jolt when the incident was mentioned. Her eyes scanned the table. It seemed that everyone knew about the incident, though she wondered if they knew about the turmoil of the Ruins. She swallowed hard nervously, though she was sure no one noticed.

"Was that linked to this investigation on Team Cipher?" May inquired. Maylene nodded.

"Are you aware that the Spiritomb was originally sealed by an Aura Guardian?" Gary questioned the four of the newcomers, being the last person that they thought would ask them about the incident, sans the people who had been there of course. May nodded, while the other two of her little trio looked dumbfounded. Drew nodded with a smirk too. His hands were crossed across his chest smoothly.

"It seems that May is smarter than you, Brendy-boy." Gary drawled. "And I could not expect anything worse from Drew here."

"How do you know Drew?" Brendan blurted out. He knew Gary because they were relatives of Pokemon Professors, he being the son of Professor Birch, and Gary being the grandson of Professor Oak. Gary was going to be a Pokemon Professor too, though he was originally a trainer. However, there were rumors that Gary was going to be the Gym Leader of Viridian City. Gary gave a small chuckle and Drew smirked, flicking his bangs in his usual way. Drew vaguely realized he had not done that as much those days.

"If you have not guessed, Drew is the heir of the large company based in LaRousse City called Hayden Holdings." Gary explained. "While Silph, Devon and the company which runs the Poketchs dwell in equipment for trainer and coordinators, Hayden Holdings deals with the more advanced things. They also have significant shares in the other major companies too."

Brendan realized his stupidity, and if there was one thing that Drew and Gary had in common beside their varying degrees of narcissism, it was bothering Brendan.

"So, Spiritomb was sealed up by an Aura Guardian, then last year Ash-" Maylene started after she was aware that Gary was not likely to finish speaking once he had the mind to annoy Brendan.

"Ashy-boy." Gary butted in causally.

"Ash Ketchum accidently knocked the shrine-"  
"Typical." Drew drawled. Gary was sitting beside him after all the two boys grinned at each other.

"And let Spiritomb out, who tried to find the one who had sealed him, but that person was already dead. After a fierce battle, Spiritomb retreated in its Keystone and the shrine was rebuilt." Maylene continued. "But this time, a member of Team Cipher informed it that though the sealer was long dead, there was another powerful Aura Guardian capable of doing such a deed."  
"And that is Riley, who is an advanced user of Aura." Rui added after Maylene's large portion of limelight. Maylene nodded at her response. The younger teenagers sans Lucas looked puzzled though.

"Riley currently lives on Iron Island near Canalave City with his Lucario, though he was considered for the position of Oreburgh Gym as Byron was the leader there before the position of Canalvave Gym became open. Riley declined, stating that Byron should have considered his son Roark first. Besides, Riley is a steel type user and would have fit Canalave Gym's standards if Byron had not been so adamant to gain the position there." Maylene informed them. "And he is a descendant of the legendary Sir Aaron who also had a Lucario."

"Wow." May gasped remembering the events concerning Sir Aaron. Riley seemed to be a rather impressive figure to her already.

"Riley is currently the strongest Aura Guardian there is, and I am currently being mentored to hone my strong Aura Detecting skills into attacks." Rui told them. "Maylene has been taught how to enhance her own skills."

"And Team Cipher knows that his current mission is to bring it down." Maylene said

"So they expected the Spiritomb to fly over to Iron Island?" May asked doubtfully. Rui laughed but nodded in response.

"No one said that part was a good plan."


	30. Maylene the Best Trainer Win!

**A/N: Well it seems that you guys have pinpointed the YGOTAS quote. Im not sure if you knew it was the quote, but still. It is funny isnt it?**

**This update seems to have come early, but in actual fact, a few days have already gone by.**

**Well these at the Veilstone Battles. After this we shall have the contest. It is back to normallity. No more dark plots for now. But there will be, in what, 5-10 chapters? If you know the game and anime, it is not hard to guess which city is next...**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Pokemon. Simple as that.**

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Chapter 30: Maylene the best trainer win!

The next few days were either spent on training with their newly evolved Pokemon, or discussing the plans of Team Cipher. Since their first meeting, the newcomers had gathered that the so called leader was a man named Evice, but after the Lugia Project, the leader had been revealed as a man named Greevil. They had also learned that the man with the codename of Looker was a member of the International Police who aided the Officer Jennies. Team Cipher had also been arrested before, but they escaped, and Orre was not exactly an important region anyway.

Veilstone had been repaired very quickly because of its influence. Drew disappeared during that time, probably to aid the profits that Hayden Holdings might have gotten out of the Builders.

During his spare time, Drew also hanged out with Gary and occasionally, the two with Brendan, who they annoyed to no end.

Wally had trouble coping with his new Grotle, but Drew had suggested that Grotle should try and withstand the blows as its defense and health were higher than ever, then strike with Mega Drain and other damaging attacks when the opportunity arises. His theory was proven correct and Wally was glad. Brendan was ready to battle Maylene.

* * *

May wondered how she should do her appeal for the Veilstone Contest. She strolled in front of her six Pokemon. She had decided to use her Prinplup in the battle round. She paused in front of her elegant Glaceon. She wanted to do an appeal but she was stuck for ideas. Her eyes brightened up as she thought of something.

"Glaceon, use Icy Wind around you." May suggested. Glacecon nodded happily as she opened her mouth to let a gust of freezing cold wind blow out. It traveled down her back, freezing her hairs into needles elegantly before it went up her pointed diamond shaped tail, leaving scale-like shards of ice on it before it swept up and around Glaceon in the shape of a sphere. It was kind of inspired by Dawn. But other than that it was her own idea. It already showed off Glaceon's fur.

"Mirror Coat." May continued as Glaceon's beautiful fur shimmered inside the orb reflecting the ice.

"Shadow Ball." May ordered, getting more confident. Glaceon opened her mouth to let out a ball of shadow which smashed through the orb and was covered in the ice. The shadow was a good match for the shininess of the Mirror Coat and the orb of ice. The rest of the sphere had shattered also.

"Now, Iron Tail." May finished as her Glaceon leapt through the ice, with a glowing tail, showing through the ice that was still on it. The ice collided with the shadow for a firework finish. The Mirror Coat was still on too, meaning the purple and blue sparks rebounded off Glaceon and making them stronger because of the effects of Mirror Coat.

Glaceon landed elegantly.

"That was well done." May congratulated, her eyes wide and sparkling with joy.

* * *

The gang was just going to head over to Maylene's Gym when Drew yelled at them, or rather, yelled at May.

"May! Harley is going to be in the Sage Town Contest!" Drew informed her. May glanced over at him then at Brendan and Wally.

"You can watch if you want." Brendan offered kindly, even if he wanted May in the gym with him. He was compensated by a happy smile from the brunette who went back to the Pokemon Center with Drew.

"You know, Drew is actually quite a nice guy." Brendan pondered out loud. Wally agreed even if he knew that it was probably because of Drew's feelings for their brunette friend.

* * *

"So, it is time for our battles!" Maylene said confidently. Brendan had decided to go first. Maylene sent out her Lucario, who had been forced to enter a pokeball, while Brendan decided that his Aggron's massive defense would be helpful.

"Let the battle commence!" cried Rui, who had decided to be referee.

"Lucario, Close Combat." Maylene ordered, doing the movements as she usually did. Her Lucario jumped up and hit Brendan's Aggron many times. Even his hardy Iron Armor Pokemon seemed to be suffering heavy damage.

"Shockwave!" Brendan countered, as Aggron was covered in blue electricity which was aimed at Maylene's Lucario who was still near.

"Metal Claw." Maylene retaliated smoothly, raising her fists across her chest, though not directly on. The spikes on Lucario's paws glowed and turned into claws as Lucario did the same pose, absorbing the energy from the Shockwave.

"Thunder Punch." Maylene continued, punching the air, using an expert combination by using the Shockwave energy to make the Thunder Punch stronger. The yellow and blue energy combined. Lucario aimed directly at Aggron's stomach. Already, Aggron looked tired from the powerful blow.

"Use another, but stronger Shockwave!" Brendan ordered. This time the electric blue energy coursed around the room, though it hit no human. Lucario got hit several times.

" Now, use the energy for an Iron Tail!" Brendan continued, mimicking the combination from earlier. Aggron's tail glowed and swung at Lucario, charged with the blue lightning. It too worked, as Lucario went backwards, but he quickly regained momentum while in the air.

"Aura Sphere!" Maylene commanded as she mimicked throwing a ball of Aura. Lucario did as told and hurled a ball of the blue energy at Aggron. It hit directly.

"Another Iron Tail!" Brendan demanded. Aggron swung its tail; however, Lucario was fast and easily dodged by jumping high.

"Drain Punch!" Maylene cried, punching the air. Green light surrounded Lucario's paw as it hit Aggron back. Brendan gritted his teeth and roared loadly.

"Metal Claw!" he attempted, though he was more in despair. Aggron's claws glowed and attempted to slash the Aura Pokemon. Lucario dodged quickly again.

"Giga Impact!" Brendan commanded, as his Aggron charged towards Lucario, cloaked in orange and purple. Maylene bore a smile on her face though as she thrust her palm out in front of her.

"Force Palm!" she called as she did so, and Lucario held the charging Aggron up. Both attacks exploded and they waited to see the outcome.

"Aggron is unable to battle!" Rui proclaimed as the Aggron fell to the ground. Lucario looked weakened but was clearly conscious.

* * *

Harley's Appeal was rather unique. His Octillery was doing summersaults while using Fire Blast to boost it into the air, and also causing flower-like patterns of fire appearing on the stage beautifully. It was very simplistic and ever so Harley-ish. Solidad was not in the contest, because she was preparing for the Pastoria Contest. If she won that one she would be eligible to participate in the Sinnoh Grand Festival.

Suddenly an Aurora Beam was fired down at the flames and exploded into rainbow fireworks all over the stage beautifully.

May and Drew watched it with surprised expressions on their faces.

* * *

"Swampert, Water Pulse, Surf and Hammer Arm!" Brendan dished out a combination. His Swampert became surrounded by water, and surfed on it while its arms glowed.

"Vacuum Wave." Maylene called, chopping forward with her two hands in a 'x' shape, her Machoke's fists glowed, and chopped out, just like she did, some energy that formed in the air a fist, which hit Swampert quickly before being reduced to dust. Swampert lost concentration, so Maylene had a clear path to aim an attack.

"Now, Seismic Toss!" Maylene commanded, just like if she was throwing something away with both hands. Machoke did as told and grabbed onto Swampert, and with ease, threw it into the air. Swampert slammed into the wall.

"Swampert is unable to battle, Machoke wins!"

Brendan did nothing for a few seconds before sighing in defeat. He enlarged Swampert's pokeball again and returned his Swampert sadly. Swampert had already gotten dealt quite some damage from Lucario who had lost narrowly. He attempted a smile.

"Monferno, it is up to you!" he proclaimed as he threw his newly evolved Sinnoh Starter's pokeball.

"So, Monferno, Dig and use Mach Punch!" Brendan insisted. His Monferno nodded and dug down deep into the Battlefield, and emerged behind Machoke with a glowing fist and punched hard.

"Cross Chop!" Maylene cried as she slashed down her hands in the shape of an 'x'. Machoke turned to deal the blow, but Monferno dodged easily into the air.

"Now, Flame Wheel!" Brendan insisted. Monferno curled into a ball while still airborne and sent flames around him before going ground-wards and conciquently, Machoke-wards.

"Machoke is unable to battle, Monferno wins!"

* * *

"Shinx, use Spark, then Discharge!" the purple haired girl cried as Harley groaned backstage. Hayley just had to be in the contest! He watched as her Shinx was highlighted in the yellow energy and ran around the stage at full speed, before the Discharge sent blue energy flying across the stage, giving Shinx a boost of speed because of a certain law. Shinx was outlined in the yellow and blue, which matched it well.

* * *

Meditite was certainly a worthy foe, who could use such attacks as Detect and Confusion. Brendan's Monferno was certainly already tired. The battlefield was filled with holes, giving Brendan a good idea, (a rarity for him, Drew would had added if he had been there.)

"Monferno, try this: Use Flamethrower in the holes!" Brendan insisted in desperation. Monferno obeyed before inhaling a lot of air then exhaling it as a plume of fire. Soon there were fiery fountains everywhere. Meditite still managed to dodge them though.

"Use Flame Wheel then finish it off with Mach Punch!" Brendan decided. Monferno descended into the nearest still flaming hole and appeared behind Meditite. His fist was glowing blue and it made contact, plunging Meditite into the flames.

"Meditite is unable to battle. This means that Monferno is the winner, and Brendan wins the battle!" Rui exclaimed. Maylene smiled. Rui handed her the badge case and Maylene presented the badge.

"Wow, such an intense battle! Wally, I am afraid we will have to battle tomorrow." Maylene exclaimed.

* * *

The two trainers returned to the center to see May and Drew watching the contest intently. It was the finals, and it was a battle between evolutions. Harley had his Cacturne, while his female counterpart Hayley possessed a Cacnea. Two Pin Missile attacks collided to create fireworks, and the two Needle Arm attacks fought against each other. Each coordinator had low points and there were ten seconds to go. Harley commanded a Bullet Seed and Hayley followed suit. Harley's Cacturne was stronger though, of course, and when the clock stopped, Harley had won.

His first Sinnoh Ribbon when his friends had obtained their second, third or fourth ribbon already.

He really needed to get a move on.

* * *

Everyone came to watch Wally's Gym Battle with Maylene the following day and wondered how well Drew's technique would work. May realized that there were now thirteen days till her contest. She could not wait. Rui decided to referee again.

"Machoke, lets go!" Maylene exclaimed, thrusting out the hand with the pokeball. Her Machoke appeared. Wally smiled at her choice and seemed to know which Pokemon to use.

"Elegant Wormadam, show them the power of green!" Wally replied as he threw the pokeball. Wormadam appeared in a burst of light as it opened. When it closed again, it dropped smoothly into Wally's hand. Wormadam was resistant to the power of Machoke's fierce Fighting -type moves, though obviously, not immune.

"So let the battle begin!" Rui called out from the side lines.

"Machoke, Vacuum Wave!" Maylene began. Her Machoke sent a wave of energy in the form of a fist at Wormadam. Wormadam dodged with the Psychic power that allowed it to remain airborne.

"Use Razor Leaf and Confusion!" Wally exclaimed. Wormadam produced lush green and sharp leaves that hovered alongside her. Her eyes glowed blue. Soon they were coated in blue and psychic energy and were fired at Machoke rapidly. No matter how much Machoke attempted to dodge the leaves, the confusion directed them to hit it. Not only that, but Machoke was weak to psychic attacks.

"Use Cross Cut, then Brick Break!" Maylene insisted as she did the movements. Machoke slashed away the remaining leaves, shattering them and its hands glowed as it approached Wormadam.

"Confusion, green Wormadam!" Wally commanded. Wormadam's eyes glowed light blue again. Machoke was cloaked in blue energy, and slammed was against the ground by Wormadam's mindpower and it had fainted with surprising ease. Drew noted that Wally had good skills as a coordinator, from what he had seen.

"Machoke is unable to battle, so Wormadam wins!"

Wally grinned at his little win, though he actually returned his Wormadam for a well earned rest.

"Meditite, come on out!" Maylene called as she threw the pokeball.

"Green Grotle, let's fight!" Wally cried out as his Grotle appeared from his pokeball.

"Bullet Seed." Wally cried out at first as Grotle fired out pellets of energy from his mouth.

"Detect and then Meditate." Maylene ordered. Meditite's eyes glowed green as it dodged every single seed before resuming its meditating position.

"Razor Leaf, green one!" Wally continued. Spinning leaves were hurled towards Meditite who dodged by going to the side.

"Meditite, Drain Punch!" Maylene insisted as she thrust her fist forward. Meditite did the same as green energy covered its fist as it went towards Grotle. Wally smiled at her usage.

"Now, Mega Drain!" Wally exclaimed. Grotle's two bushes glowed and tendrils of green energy came out, wrapping around Meditite whose Drain Punch vanished. Meditite's strength was being sapped.

"Crunch then, wrap this up with Bullet Seed!" Wally finished. Grotle bit the Meditite hard before a barrage of golden orbs sent Meditite flying.

"Meditite is unable to battle, which means Grotle wins!" Rui announced.

Brendan was surprised at the ease which Wally commanded his Pokemon and mastered the battle. He had no right to be cocky when Wally was humble and still managed to defeat his opponents with ease.

Maylene called her Lucario out and Brendan wondered how easily Wally would win against Lucario who had fought a fierce battle.

"Bone Rush!" Maylene ordered. Her Lucario created a bone out of blue energy and hit Grotle on his belly, which was weaker than his shell obviously.

"Use Mega Drain, green Grotle!" Wally cried out. Tendrils of green energy approached Lucario from Grotle's forest-like bushes, but it dodged every single one of them and sent them back to Grotle by spinning the bone as a shield before it vanished. Lucario ran towards Grotle, knowing its next move.

"Now, Force Palm!" Maylene commanded, thrusting her palm out again just as Lucario did it to Grotle. Light poured out of the palm destructively and sent Grotle flying, which was rather dangerous and hard to achieve. Luckily because of the extra weight, Grotle did not fly far but he was clearly tired.

"Finish Grotle off with Aura Sphere!" Maylene exclaimed, jutting her hands out like she was pushing an Aura Sphere away. Lucario created a powerful Aura Sphere while watching Grotle regain his breath.

"Now!" Maylene commanded. Lucario sent the blue sphere flying towards Grotle, and it hit right on target.

"Grotle is unable to battle. Lucario wins!" Rui cried from the side lines.

"Return Grotle. You did an excellent job." Wally praised as he returned his Sinnoh Starter to its pokeball.

"Wormadam, come back out!" Wally cried as he switched pokeballs quickly. His Wormadam appeared again aend faced Lucario in the air.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Maylene commanded at once. Her Lucario created the sphere and hurled it up at Wormadam who dodged it easily, though it rebounded off the wall and hit Wormadam in the back, sending Wormadam towards Lucario.

"Metal Claw!" Maylene continued as Lucario slashed Wormadam with claws of steel.

"Psybeam!" Wally proclaimed. Wormadam sent a pink and purple beam towards Lucario, who dodged smoothly and jumped up towards Wormdadam, preparing to use a Force Palm.

"Protect!" Wally cried out. Wormadam created a forcefield of green energy around her as Lucario attempted to get through it.

"Lucario, use Drain Punch to drain the energy away!" Maylene exclaimed. Lucario did just that and got through the shield easily, and hit Wormadam to boot, absorbing some energy to heal itself. That was why she did not choose to use Feint, which could break through barriers.

"Now, Force Palm!" Maylene finished as Lucario placed a hand on Wormadam and blinding light coursed through the area. When the light stopped, it was clear that Wormadam had also fainted.  
"Wormadam is unable to battle. Lucario wins!" Rui announced.

"You did your best Wormadam." Wally said to the pokeball before taking out his final Pokemon.

"Altaria, time for a change of color!" Wally cried out as he threw the pokeball high into the air. His Altaria appeared and took flight above the Battlefield. Altaria also took her pokeball and sent it down to Wally again who caught it with a grin.

"Aura Sphere!" Maylene cried at once. Her Lucario created a ball of energy and flung it at the airborne Altaria. Wally knew what to do.

"Altaria, Dragon Pulse!" Wally commanded. Altaria created a ball of green energy and shot it at the Aura Sphere. The two attacks were of the same strength and that was the reason Wally decided to use the attack. As Wally predicted, the two orbs collided, sending waves of green and light blue energy flying everywhere. Both Pokemon dodged the aftershock though. Out of the three Pokemon Wally had used in the battle, Altaria was far the strongest. Wormdadam and Grotle were both obtained in Sinnoh after all.

"Metal Claw!" Maylene ordered. Her Lucario gained claws which had morphed from its spikes upon his arms. Lucario also leapt up into the air to meet Altaria and prepared to strike.

"Steel Wing!" Wally insisted. Altaria's once fluffy wings turned to steel, blocking Lucario's claws. Steel Wing was a stronger attack though, and Lucario was hurled to the ground.

"Now, Sky Attack!" Wally cried out. Altaria glowed with white misty energy and came down on Lucario. Because of Lucario's steel type it was not super effective, but it still dealt quite a bit. Lucario got hit hard before Altaria swooped into the air once more.

"Finish Lucario off with Fire Blast!" Wally finished and Altaria did just that. She sent a blast of fire at Lucario and when it hit, it rebounded off in the shape of the symbol for fire. When the flames cleared, Maylene noticed her Lucario, who had fainted.

"Lucario is unable to battle, which means Altaria and the challenger Wally wins!"

Maylene returned her signature Pokemon and grinned at Lucario's pokeball.

"You were superb out there." She praised. One of her Black Belts, by the name of Connally came over with the badge case. Rui came over too, as Maylene handed Wally his third badge: the Cobble Badge.

Wally grinned as he obtained his badge. As he was a nice guy, he thanked Maylene politely.

"So, we have thirteen days of relaxation ahead of use." Brendan commented. They all grinned at the prospect.


	31. Style

**A/N: Sorry guys! My mother tends to suddenly announce that we are going somewhere for a few days and forces me to go with her. **

**This is the Veilstone contest. I dont have much to say.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Is it that hard to get across?**

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Chapter 30: Style

In the next thirteen days, everyone did a lot of practicing on their own. Drew had vanished to wherever he trained again, though he occasionally returned to view. Wally was confident he would win the Fen Badge with his large collection of Grass Pokemon. Brendan had Shiftry but he knew it would not be enough. May had gotten her mind in a knot trying to think of combinations she could use while battling.

Though May planned to use her newly evolved Prinplup for her Battle round, she was also intent on training with her other Pokemon too. After she had been honing on her Venusaur's Frenzy Plant, the Battlefield resembled cheese. The kind that was first made in the place out of Japan called 'Switzerland' or Swiss for short. The fact that the ground was yellow did not help one bit.

She had tried applying Drew's technique for Grotle, though it did not work as well since Venusaur had no shell. Venusaur was notably stronger because she was fully evolved, though her attributes leaned towards Special Attack and Defence. Venusaur was much faster anyway, even faster than a Torterra. Then again, Torterra was the slowest of the fully evolved starters. Torterra had the highest defense. However, Venusaur was as fast as Meganium, who definitely could run.

She had even practiced with Maylene, when she was training with her Blaziken. Lucario was there too, and was rather eager to teach a fellow fighting type. May had learned quite a bit about contest fighting techniques from the pink haired warrior.

And so the thirteen days went by. Drew and May registered, and Drew nearly cringed when he saw that Brianna was there too. He was rather irritated when May went to greet her.

* * *

"Welcome to the annual Veilstone Pokemon Contest!" Marian announced above the uproar.

Behind stage, Drew noticed that May was rather confident in posture as she watched the introduction with a glint in her eye and a wide smile upon her face. When he started contests, he was very nervous. Now he was cool and confident, though May was slightly less confident. At least she was not so confident she would have extreme ups and downs like that navy haired coordinator Dawn.

He tried to ignore the fact that Brianna was shooting him the occasional look from the corner of his eye. Turtwig's pokeball was clenched tightly in his hand, encased by a capsule and sealed with a Flora Seal.

That Hayley girl was up first, he noticed. She was using her Pachirisu; the one that Drew had versed with his Flygon; a very easy win for the half-ground-type. Drew vaguely wondered if she liked electric types very much. Then again, so far they knew she used two electric types. Pachirisu and Shinx for that matter. She had her Cacnea and her Staravia.

"Pachirisu, Super Fang!" Harley cried out. Her Pachirisu curled in a ball then leapt into the air, teeth visibly lengthening and glowing bright white, showing off the aforementioned teeth.

"Sweet Kiss!" she continued. As Pachirisu reached quite some height, he unrolled himself and created pink hearts around himself before sending them down back to earth.

"Iron Tail!" she exclaimed. Pachirisu's tail glowed and hit the pink hearts, pulverizing them into sparkles.

"Now, Discharge!" she finished. Pachirisu still had his large teeth. So when the energy was discharged, Pachirisu headed back to earth, and landed on his teeth on the stage. The energy pulsated from the large teeth, making it resemble a Thunder Fang attack. Drew found the appeal rather average.

* * *

Brianna's appeal came sooner or later, though Drew did not particularly care. She was using her Masquerain.

"Masquerain, Bubble!" Brianna cried at once. Her Eyeball Pokemon obeyed, sending bubbles flying into the air above the stage. Some were larger than others; some were as small as a spherical pebble while others flaunted their existence because they were the size of a human's head.

"Ice Beam!" she continued. A few seconds later, a lightning like bolt of ice scanned over the bubbles, freezing them. The smaller bubbles exploded into tiny shards of ice. The larger bubbles stayed in the air and shimmered beautifully in the stage light. In May's opinion it was alike to an appeal that Dawn had once used with her Piplup and Buneary.

"Now, Silver Wind!" Brianna finished. Her Masquerain did as told and soon a silvery wind swept across the stage, sending the shattered ice along the silver current. Brianna smiled as the tide of glowing light blue went out, making her hair flutter in the breeze too. Her red hair was in a pony tail again, as it always seemed to be nowadays. She was still wearing the rose like dress that resembled somewhat like her older sister's contest dress, except for the fact that her sister wore a black top not a rose red one like she did. The bottom portion of her outfit was larger and rose-like too. Despite she was only one year younger than her sister and the fact she was one year older than Dawn, she seemed much younger than the rest of them. Dawn must have simply been a fast grower.

When he thought about it, he had seen many coordinators that seemed to be a year or two younger than him and that was the case when he was _ten_.

Drew did not really think it was very good, but in any case it was probably good enough to get to the second round. Sometimes he wondered why he took so much effort into his appeals if coordinators like Dawn and Brianna could go to the second round. He had heard from May that for her first contest, Dawn's Piplup sent bubbles into the air and popped them with a peck. That was totally not acceptable in Sinnoh Contests, which were a lot tougher than Hoenn ones.

* * *

He was so engrossed with his inner mind ramblings he did not notice the veiled figure of May vanish towards the door towards the stage. This meant he was rather surprised when Marian announced her presence and allowed her to perform her much anticipated appeal. Drew knew that Brendan and Wally were in the audience. He cringed mentally when he thought about Brendan and May together. Jealously blinded him for five seconds before he remembered why he was thinking those thoughts: because May had gotten on the stage to perform her appeal with whichever Pokemon she had decided to do it with. His unsaid question was answered when she threw her chosen pokeball into the air. From amidst the blue ribbons that dived up and around the glowing Pokemon, Drew could see that it was May's Glaceon.

"Glaceon, use Icy Wind!" May started. Her Glaceon opened her mouth and exhaled a gust of cold wind. The freezing jet of air traveled down Glaceon's back, freezing the fur into beautiful needles in the process. The wind trailed up Glaceon's diamond shaped tail, freezing it like it did with the fur on the rest of Glaceon's body, though scale-like shards of ice clung on elegantly. The wind sprung off Glaceon's tail as if it was a ramp, and went into the air, encasing Glaceon into an ice sphere, not before showing off Glaceon's beautiful fur. You could still see Glaceon through the glassy orb.

"Mirror Coat." May continued. Her Glaceon did as told, and her fur shimmered like a mirror. The thin icy walls created by the Icy Wind were reflected in it also. The tiny specks of ice on Glaceon's fur, especially her tail added to the wonderful effect. It was simply stunning.

"Shadow Ball!" she commanded. Glaceon opened her mouth, and charged up a ball of shadow. The dark glow bounced off the Mirror Coat and the ball of ice for a contrasting effect. After Glaceon deemed it ready, she released it and it smashed through the thin layer of frozen water, and a thinner membrane of ice coated it, though a few shards managed to cling on. In the process the rest of the orb shattered magnificently around the still shiny Glaceon.

"Now, let's finish it off with Iron Tail!" May finished confidently. Her Glaceon's tail glowed pure white, reflecting through the scale-like shards of ice decorating it. Glaceon leapt up above the spikes of ice from the orb, and pounced towards the racing shadow ball, which she hit with her tail. Fireworks flew when the combination hit, in the colors of light blue and purple. Because of the Mirror Coat, the sparks rebounded off Glaceon's reflecting fur, growing stronger because of the effects that Mirror Coat possessed. While this was happening, Glaceon landed on her tail.

Drew was shocked into silence at the beauty of the appeal. Sometimes Drew wondered if she really did have a style. But that was her style; simply to show her Pokemon off. Whether it was their abilities or their physical attributes themselves. Always. Like how her Beautifly went through the Stringshot Tunnel. Like how she showed off Venusaur's vines. Like how she showed how she could make variations of Piplup's Whirlpool attack. How she showed off Wartortle's shell and Glaceon's tail. It was always like that. And when Blaziken fought he would certainly see the beauty and grace in the fierce attacks.

She had found her style. He knew that the Pokemon were the stars even if his style did not depend on it. He was not exactly kidding when he explained that his roses were for Beautifly in the early contests. She had used Beautifly mostly in the early contests after all. While he was with her in Johto she had told him that her then Torchic was very determined to become her most used Pokemon.

"Never thought people would want your attention." Drew had said in a slight joking tone.

* * *

Then it was his turn to shine. He had walked confidently on stage with his Turtwig to massive applause and the sound of female fans. He threw the pokeball of his Turtwig high into the air. A pink cherry blossom had appeared from it that drifted slowly to the ground. However, Turtwig used Razor Leaf while inside the flower, which sliced the pink blossom into sparkles alongside the leaves which had fluttered to the ground alongside the broken flower. The flower had been made up with thousands of smaller blossoms, so the ground was coated in them. Turtwig landed confidently on the pink mass and generated an aura of power that would have made Wally or Gardenia proud.

"You know what to do to start." Drew offered. His Turtwig nodded firmly before leaping into the air. Brendan almost gulped. It seemed that Drew's Turtwig was stronger than Wally's Grotle.

He watched as an Energy Ball was created in front of Turtwig, and was swallowed. This was not the first time that happened though. The first time was in the Hearthome Super Contest.

The two leaves on Turtwig's head glowed like a green Mirror Coat, while the rest of Turtwig shimmered slightly green. A soft aura of extra power came off Turtwig as he swallowed the orb.

"Now, Razor Leaf." Drew commanded. His Turtwig spun around sharply, sending leaves around him, shining like the leaves upon Turtwig's head, each like a gleaming mirror, reflecting Turtwig.

"Tackle, lets go." Drew continued. Quickly Turtwig bolted up the cascade of leaves that was slowly drifting downwards; hardly seeable and jumped off the top leaf into the air once more.

"Mega Drain!" Drew cried out with a flourish to his tone. Turtwig sent out lightning like bolts of green energy, and while he concentrated, it was like Pikachu charging some energy. He was slightly clenched up into a ball, as much as one that a turtle could be in anyway.

The green light bounced off each mirror-like leaf, towards like a tree connecting each one. However, it was so different from Wally's approach, and besides, Drew only needed one Pokemon.

There was no need to say that the outcome was stunning. That was Drew's style. To show off his Pokemon and at the same time, he showed off their moves as pieces of art.

However on this contest, May had done better, and Drew knew that she earned it. When the eight people were placed upon the board, May was the first, and he was the second. Brianna was last and Hayley was second last. They were much better than the two after all.


	32. In Veiled Stone

**A/N: Another chapter. The battle round of the Veilstone contest. Nothing much to say**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. **

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Chapter 32: In Veiled Stone

The first battle was of people both of them had no idea of. Drew's eyes wandered from the screen to over where the brunette was.

She was so dense she had no clue his gaze was fixated on her. When her head slightly turned to his way, Drew's head snapped back to the screen. May did not even see the suspicious head turn. She was too engrossed in the battle to care. Her mouth was slightly pouting in a thoughtful way and in a way that made her look very innocent. Drew thought she looked cute that way.

* * *

Five minutes ended, and the next battle started after a quick break. Brianna stood triumphantly on one side, and a certain purple haired trainer called Hayley stood on the other side.

"So let's go!" Marian had been saying. As the seconds ticked down, Brianna sent out her Roselia. Hayley, her Shinx. Brianna decided to take the first move.

"Roselia, Petal Dance!" Brianna cried out. Her Roselia spun around on the stage, sending a rush of pink petals flying everywhere, blocking Shinx's view and hitting hit backwards at the same time. Hayley's points flew down but she still smiled on. The attack had shown off Roselia's roses though.

"Shinx. Spark!" she countered. Her Shinx regained ground, and leapt up, trailed by electricity and hit Roselia straight on. The move showed off Shinx's quick movements. Their points were even now.

"Poison Sting!" Brianna said, hoping that the stings would not miss because Shinx was very close.

"Iron Tail, Shinx!" Hayley exclaimed confidently however. Shinx's tail turned to iron and glowed. The purple stings rebounded off safely because poison had no effect on steel.

Drew admitted that Hayley was a better coordinator than they thought.

Then the Iron Tail struck Roselia after the barrage of stings ceased. That was why it was so clever. It was an offence and a defense at the same time. Hayley was winning now.

However, when Brianna had a Vibrava and a Surskit, she also had a Budew she did not use in the contest. Electric attacks were not as strong on grass types either. But it was a contest, those things barely mattered. All that mattered was beauty and power at the same time.

"Magical Leaf!" Brianna cried out in despair. Her Roselia sent out some leaves crafted by magic.

"Iron Tail!" Hayley retaliated again. Her Shinx's tail glowed white and whacked away the magical leaves that were reduced to green sparkles.

"Spark!" Hayley continued. Her Shinx bolted at Roselia, trailed by yellow energy, hitting it further.

There was no way Brianna could win at that stage, so she had to use the combination she was planning on saving for the finals, or even the Grand Festival.

"Roselia, I am sorry but we will have to use Magical Cannon!" Brianna cried out. She and Roselia had just finished perfecting Energy Ball, so there was no way she could foretell the results.

Her Roselia understood her and summoned a bunch of glowing leaves made from magic. It positioned them in front of it and then shot out an Energy Ball, sending the energy flying towards Shinx, who had been hit hard. Hayley lost a lot of points but maintained to have more than Brianna.

Brianna smiled at her success and became a little overconfident.

"Energy Ball!" she commanded. Her Roselia fired another ball of energy at the rather weakened Shinx.

"Iron Tail!" she called out. Her Shinx's tail glowed and hit back the green sphere at Roselia who was hit.

"Spark!" she continued. Her Shinx bolted towards Roselia. However, Roselia dodged the lightning cloaked Pokemon elegantly.

"Thirty seconds to go!" Marian called, and it sounded like it was in the far distance.

"Lets go again, Magical Cannon!" Brianna cried. If she had revealed her combo she may as well use it more. The leaves of energy and the energy ball were charged towards Hayley's feeble Shinx. Just before it hit, her Shinx glowed, and grew larger into the form of a Luxio. Perhaps the Sage Town Contest was not the first contest she had used her Shinx or it would not have evolved so quickly. They were not ones to pay attention to Hayley after all.

"Now Spark using her attack!" Hayley cried as the final seconds ticked down. Her newly evolved Luxio bolted through the energy which cloaked around the Spark attack, earning Hayley more points once more, before her Luxio made contact with Brianna's Roselia, triggering an explosion.

"Hayley will go onto the semi-finals!" Marian called over the explosion. Brianna's Roselia had fainted. Hayley's Luxio stood proudly over Roselia.

Drew was surprised at the power that Hayley's Luxio had. But he had not much time to think it over. He was up next. He was using his Roserade against a Gastrodon. It was a very easy battle because of how effective Grass was against Water and Ground types. Roserade easily dodged the occasional Ice Beam of course. But it had been a fairly easy win for him.

* * *

May's battle also came. She had decided to use her newly evolved Prinplup who had easily defeated the Azumarill it had been against, despite the fact that the two were of the same type. It was because of Prinplup's Peck, Drill Peck and Metal Claw mostly because there were not water type attacks. Prinplup had easily sliced apart a Water Gun or two with his Metal Claw attack, and hurled a fierce Whirlpool at it. The battle was harder than Drew's for obvious reasons.

* * *

But after Hayley's semi-final battle, which she won, May and Drew met. Roserade against Prinplup. It seemed that Drew had the advantage since Grass was super effective against Water types.

"Roserade, Magical Leaf!" Drew started. His Roserade did as told and sent towards Prinplup a barrage of green and magical leaves. To Drew's surprise, May was smiling still.

"Prinplup, Metal Claw." She had ordered. Prinplup had advanced towards Roserade. The light blue edges of his wings glowed white, while slashing the magical leaves down into powdered emeralds.

"Use Petal Dance." Drew commanded in retaliation. Roserade sent down from its Bouquets, a storm of pink petals. They obscured Prinplup's vision.

"Mega Drain." He called before May could retaliate. A green beam darted from petal to petal, in a similar way to his appeal, until it hit Prinplup straight on. The two were even point wise though it was obvious that Prinplup was weaker health wise.

"Whirlpool." May cried out riskily. It was not like Roserade gained health from water though, it would still hurt. The Whirlpool that Prinplup created gathered up the petals, and crushed them, creating a pink Whirlpool that cut down some of Drew's points before it was actually hurled towards Roserade. May was not finished however.

"Metal Claw!" she continued. As always, the edge of Prinplup's wings glowed white, and they slashed at the pink Whirlpool. Because of the circular movements the water whipped around Roserade in tendrils. May was winning by far, to Drew's surprise.

"Magical Leaf." He called. Roserade formed a wall of magical leaves that absorbed the water of the Whirlpool, this alone sent May's points down. Then his Roserade sent the green wall of leaves flying towards Prinplup, bringing Drew to the lead as they all hit Prinplup.

"Drill Peck!" May insisted. Prinplup came to his senses and his beak glowed, while he started to spin, this time the leaves formed a shield around him, just like the Energy Ball shield. As he neared Roserade, the leaves fell away and Prinplup hit Roserade in the chest, sending it flying. Drew and May were now neck and neck. Roserade regained its stance as the two Pokemon stared at each other.

"Magical Leaf!" Drew cried out. Roserade reacted at once, as it fired leaves from its bouquets.

"Bubblebeam, Prinplup!" May exclaimed. Prinplup opened his mouth to let out a barrage of spheres. The bubbles that Prinplup sent forth collided with the green leaves in the center of the stage leaving sparkles on it.

"Sweet Scent." Drew attempted in order to win. Roserade sent the scent from its bouquets, making the aforementioned sparkles glow even more. Before Drew could follow it up, May ordered an attack.

"Whirlpool!" May countered because that was her goal too. As before the Whirlpool grew pink with the sweet scent from Roserade and from the sparkles Roserade had attempted to gather. The battle was so intense, showing how the two had grown.

"Thirty seconds to go!" Marian announced.

"Dodge!" Drew called. Roserade jumped higher than the Whirlpool, to meet Prinplup who had glowing claws, or rather, edges of wings but that takes too long to say.

"Metal Claw!" May exclaimed as Prinplup prepared to finish Roserade off.

"Grab him!" Drew commanded quickly. Roserade unleashed its thorny vines to try and block off Prinplup's wings. They struggled and struggled. It seemed like no one would give in. Time seemed to stop as they both felt the thumping sound of their hearts and watched the two Pokemon wrestle.

"Time is up!" Marian proclaimed. "And by a little bit, May will go onto the finals!"

Roserade and Prinplup leapt backwards to their respective coordinators who were looking at the massive screen overhead. May was smiling as she should be.

* * *

"Luxio, Spark!" Hayley started as the clock ticked down. The purple haired trainer had the advantage, but then again, so did Drew, and May defeated him. Her Luxio darted towards Prinplup.

"Bubblebeam." May countered. Prinplup shot bubbles out of his mouth. They stopped Luxio from advancing, opening an opportunity for May.

"Whirlpool!" May continued. Prinplup sent a Whirlpool towards the Luxio who was trapped in the watery vortex. If Luxio dared to aim a Discharge at the water, then there was a rather large chance he would get shocked too. It was perfect. May was definitely winning and Hayley's points were going down by the second also.

"Iron Tail." Hayley rebutted. It was rather predictable that she would command that attack though. Luxio's tail glowed white as he tried to hit the wall of water. Luxio was stronger than Shinx, but Luxio was not used to his new body yet.

"Try and Spark upwards." Hayley suggested. Luxio balanced on his iron tail and successfully bounded out, though by now already one minute and a half had passed in total and Hayley was doomed.

"Charge beam, Luxio!" Hayley cried out. Luxio sent a bolt of energy coursing towards Prinplup.

"Metal Claw." May returned. Prinplup put his two glowing claws out in front, which took the electric charge. It was obvious that the Charge Beam was the newest attack Luxio had started to learn. Hayley had a look of shock on her face.

"Discharge!" Hayley called, hoping that the only reason that May's strategy worked was because Charge Beam was weak. The blue energy was sent towards Prinplup. May wondered if Prinplup could handle it. Prinplup nodded. Piplup and Prinplup were prideful Pokemon even if it fainted or even killed them.

Prinplup raised his claws again, and took the blast, though he was struggling slightly and was pushed backwards a bit too.

"Drill Peck!" May exclaimed quickly. Prinplup moved to the side of the Discharge and started spinning through the air, wings coated in blue energy from the Discharge.

"Bubblebeam." May continued. Prinplup opened his mouth to let out some bubbles that went along his body so the combination of water and electricity would connect and explode once they hit Luxio,

When Prinplup hit Luxio, the energy combined and exploded.

When the steam cleared, Prinplup was clearly tired, but Luxio had fainted. There had been one minute to go, but now May had won her third ribbon!

Drew waited for May as he watched her be presented with the ribbon on screen. He had changed back to his normal gear already. When he saw her come off the stage, he readied the rose that he wanted to present to her. It felt like eons since he had given her a rose, even if he had given her in the Solaceon Ruins as he recalled it. When she appeared, he tossed her the rose and left, not noticing the blush that painted lightly on her face as she caught it.


	33. Make War for Love

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My internet hates me.**

**Yeah. Remember the fight that was going to occur before the plot came along?**

**It isnt a heavy love triangle chapter, but sometime along the line i have to show and remind that Brendan has feelings for our Brunette.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

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Chapter 33: Make War for Love

"Come see, Crasher Wake is in a wrestling match!"

Brendan called down the stairs from the rooms to his friends who were currently situated in the Pokemon Center lounge, making conversation amongst themselves. Their group now included Drew who had decided to travel with them for a while. No one responded to Brendan's summons however. He sighed in slight annoyance and loneliness, though not much as they were good friends (even if Drew was a git once in a while) and watched the whole thing himself.

It was the day after the Veilstone Contest. There were six days until the Pastoria Contest, but May and Drew had agreed to not participate because it was so near. They had decided to leave Veilstone in the afternoon and go to the Lakefront and stay in the hotel there. May had talked about how she had went to the Seven Stars Restaurant when she had gone to the Wallace Cup a year before hand.

They had decided that the next Contest they would go to was the Canalave one when Brendan and Wally went there.

* * *

The next interruption in the indistinguishable murmurs occurred around an hour later, by the same trainer none the less. Brendan sported a boyish grin with a side helping of slight cockiness.

"Hey guys, Crasher Wake won!" he announced. Everyone present in the lounge, including the puzzled Nurse Joy and her Chansey stared at him in irritation and puzzlement. Only then did he notice that his friends were not situated in the lounge at that present moment. Once the glares died down, he crept through the glass automatic sliding doors of the center, out into the morning light.

* * *

While Brendan had watched the wrestling match, Drew and May had slipped out to train, just like Rivals should; improve each others techniques so they would have a challenge. Actually, Drew had taunted her that she should train even if a contest was not coming up.

"All the other coordinators are simply not going to stop because of you." Drew had teased.

This automatically prompted May to get mad at him and told him in an angry tone that she was going to train. Drew offered to help despite her menacing tone. He thought she was cute when she was fuming.

After the two had left, Wally had sneakily gone out to watch them interact because Drew's feelings for May were clear, except both May and Brendan were dense like that so they could not see it. While surrounded by many people, Drew hid it well anyway.

* * *

Soon Brendan had made his grand entrance towards them, yawning slightly as he strode across the grass to the battlefield. He thought the two of them looked happy together, but being the dense guy, saw no romantic links between them. He thought they were only platonic friends.

He blushed slightly when something from Drew made May's voice ring beautifully across to him. There was a tinge of envy because Drew was the one making May laugh. Still, he did not know that Drew was a strong competitor for May's affections.

Drew noticed the approaching figure and straightened up with a yawn of his own, but he looked stunning while doing so. Luckily, no fan girls had spotted him doing so. Brendan was indifferent because well, there is no way there is going to be a Drew and Brendan couple right?

If I remember correctly, that is the second time I have mentioned it. Sorry. I shall also stop breaking into the fourth wall.

"Hey Brendan." Drew said in a lazy tone. Brendan nodded at the male coordinator. May then noticed him too. May gave a causal wave to the Birch.

"I guess the match is over." May remarked, pointing out the obvious, but Brendan did not think she was stupid, not with his feelings for her. They had not been mentioned a lot because this is not a Hoennshipping fic but they were there. Brendan nodded in reply to her comment, not knowing that a set of emerald eyes were glaring at him with slight jealousy and threats. Drew did not see Brendan as a big threat, but he was there, and was a big part before Drew entered the picture, ten years into May's life. Drew did not see his own chances being especially high anyway. His emotions got the best of him.

Then Drew remembered something, and his signature smirk filled his face. He even flicked his hair, which was something he rarely did anymore. There was a mischievous gleam in his eye.

He was just about to say something when Brendan's attention was distracted from May. Wally had come towards them. He had been training in the forest as usual. Drew had a grain of irritation now, but held no hatred for the other green head.

"Hey Brendan." Drew repeated, though the first time was when Brendan had just arrived to the battlefield, some five to ten minutes before hand. He was not really concentrating. Brendan turned towards him though. Drew's smirk automatically increased.

"How about that match you and I had planned?" Drew reminded him.

* * *

Wally was referee as usual, and May was watching from the sidelines. Both of the guys were fighting to prove who was stronger. Unknown to Brendan and May, they were also fighting to prove who was more worthy of May. Wally could see Drew's intentions.

"Okay, this is a three on three battle." Wally announced. "You are both allowed to substitute Pokemon. So, let the battle begin!"

"Swampert, show 'em justice!" Brendan cried, throwing the pokeball and letting his Swampert out, just as Drew sent out his Turtwig.

Brendan was annoyed that Drew had the type advantage. A big one too; Grass type moves were Swampert's only weakness. However, he did not switch out because Swampert was stronger in terms of power. Turtwig had not yet evolved, while Swampert was fully evolved.

"Let's blast Turtwig away with Muddy Water!" Brendan commanded. Swampert let out a jet of muddy water. Drew was mad with glee; it was the perfect move against Turtwig! He knew that Turtwig knew what to do. Turtwig withdrew, making his defense up. At the same time, the water was making his soil shell harder. Since there was also mud with the attack, Turtwig's shell could not have been harder.

Brendan continued with his Hammer Arm combo. It was one of his favorites: wiping away the opponent before hitting them through the murky water.

However, Swampert's glowing arm met with a very hard shell. Swampert's arm could break down boulders, but this was even harder to Swampert's surprise. It the strength was enough, it could only slide into the soil, rather than break it. Drew smirked on.

"Now Turtwig, Mega Drain!" Drew exclaimed confidently. A green light emerged from Turtwig's shell to wrap around Swampert, sucking his energy. The light withdrew into the shell, just as Swampert collapsed. Fainted.

"Swampert is unable to battle!" Wally exclaimed.

* * *

Brendan cursed silently as he returned his Swampert. Drew's Turtwig was very strong even if it was a rather recent Pokemon. He should have sent out his Monferno. He would do it then.

"Monferno, I choose you!" Brendan cried. However, at the same time Drew returned his Turtwig and sent out his Butterfree. He knew that Brendan would send out his Monferno, but he too, could substitute Pokemon. Butterfree WAS weak to fire, but Drew still knew with Butterfree he still had a decent chance. Brendan cursed silently again, but Drew had already started the battle.

"Gust." Drew ordered. His Butterfree began flapping its wings, sending a gust over to Monferno, who struggled against the current.

"Try a Flamewheel." Brendan suggested. Monferno tried to wrap fire around him, but the fire was blown away by the wind from Butterfree's wings. However, Butterfree stopped so it would not be exhausted.

"Flamethrower!" Brendan cried. However, Drew matched the pillar of fire with a Psybeam.

"Mach Punch!" Brendan tried again. This time, his Monferno managed to land a clean hit as Monferno leapt into the air with a glowing fist. Drew knew that Butterfree was probably going to lose the match.

"Sleep Powder!" Drew decided. Butterfree flapped out a beautiful powder that landed all over the field, casting Monferno into a sleep. Brendan looked panicked.

"Now, Psychic." Drew announced, deciding to end the battle. The Sleep Powder was to stop Monferno from struggling. Monferno was surrounded by a blue aura and hovered up into the air, before the aura vanished and Monferno dropped to the ground, fainted.

"Monferno is unable to battle. Butterfree wins!" Wally cried.

Brendan groaned as he returned his Monferno. There was no way he could win now.

* * *

"Aggron!" Brendan exclaimed as he sent out his Iron Armor Pokemon.

Drew noticed that Aggron was one of Brendan's favorite Pokemon. He had the perfect Pokemon to defeat it.

"Flygon, lets go!" Drew said causally, sending out his Flygon, who flew overhead, in line with Aggron's eyes. Brendan was really irritated now. Ground was one of Aggron's few weaknesses.

"Earthquake." Drew said in a bored tone. Flygon glided down, shaking the battlefield. Aggron, being the rather large Pokemon, was greatly affected.

Brendan barred his teeth. There was no chance to win whatsoever.

"Iron Head!" Brendan cried loudly, like a battle cry. His Aggron charged at Flygon, hitting it straight on with massive power. Brendan forced a smile on his face.

"Metal Claw!" Brendan cried. His Aggron's claws glowed white.

"Dragon Claw!" Drew retaliated, his Flygon's claws glowing also. Dragon Claw was a stronger attack too.

The two attacks met. Aggron had the larger claws and body, while Flygon had the stronger attack.

However, Aggron won the battle between the claws, and slashed at Flygon who was knocked back yet again, into the ground. This time, it was Drew's loss.

"Flygon is unable to battle, Aggron wins!" Wally cried. Drew was slightly disappointed, but he knew he had the battle in the bag. He returned his Flygon before smirking at Brendan once more. Brendan only had one Pokemon while Drew had two. The Earthquake that Flygon had created would have weakened Aggron a fair bit too.

* * *

"Butterfree, it is your turn again!" Drew cried out. His Butterfree came from its pokeball and flew around in the air above Drew.

Brendan's ego was returning now. He had the chance to prove that he was the better. The small Butterfree could not possibly defeat his Aggron after all.

"Let us start with Bug Buzz." Drew exclaimed. His Butterfree fluttered its wings, sending red shockwaves all over the battlefield. Everyone covered their ears too. Aggron was becoming weaker from the sound waves. However, Brendan was not convinced that one Butterfree could defeat his Aggron, even with the damage of the Earthquake that Flygon had dealt earlier.

"Aerial Ace." Drew commanded his Butterfree, who glided around, trailed by white streaks before aiming itself towards Aggron's stomach, slamming there hard. Aggron visibly looked tired but Brendan's ego blinded him.

"Iron Head!" Brendan cried out. His Aggron charged towards Drew's Butterfree who flew up into the air, avoiding the attack with ease. Aggron seemed tired from all the charging around.

"Aerial Ace again!" Drew ordered. His Butterfly dived down, hitting Aggron's stomach again before dodging Aggron's claws which had attempted to swipe at it.

"Iron Head!" Brendan roared.

"Silver Wind!" Drew cried out at the same time. Silvery crescents of wind flapped from Butterfree's wings sliced at Aggron, preventing the Iron Head.

"Aerial Ace, one more time!" Drew exclaimed, intending to end the battle, once and for all.  
Butterfree swooped down at Aggron, though it spent some time around in the air, building up speed and power for the strongest Aerial Ace it could muster up.

Then when Aggron least expected it, Butterfree dealt the finishing blow. Aggron landed on the ground with a big thud.

"Aggron is unable to battle, which means Drew is the winner of this battle!" Wally announced.


	34. Interlude

**A/N: This chapter is only 1100 words unlike the usual 2000+ words I type. This is because this was originally at the end of last chapter and does not fit onto the next chapter either.**

**Disclaimer: So the Team has come out: Team Plasma. No offence to the Pokemon Team, but if I owned Pokemon, it would not be Plasma. **

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Chapter 34: Interlude

They decided to go to Lake Valor the following day, when there were five days till the Pastoria Contest which they were planning to watch, not on the television but in the stands themselves. Harley was still competing in it however. If Solidad won however, that would mean that Harley would travel by himself and thus ribbons easier, unless he wished to annoy Drew and May.

So, the following day arrived, and the gang noticed a subtle increase in the weather as summer began to approach. May smiled as she looked through her new outfits. There were not that much; it would certainly not take a bag as big as Dawn's pink case to put them in thankfully. All it took was May's Sinnoh Bag which she rarely used because she used her fanny pack mostly. She had decided to use it sooner or later, and managed to fish it out of Brendan's bag and placed her new outfits in neatly. She decided that they should indeed make a bit of a change.

But despite May's bubbly demeanor, there was certainly no use avoiding the heat, though May pointed out that they could relax on the Lakeside and at Pastoria Beach. They all had their bathers after all, or else they had nothing to wear in Leona's Hot Spring Hotel. It was not a proper Onsen thankfully.

Krictetune were buzzing away, though they knew that the evenings would become livelier as their pre-evolutions would come out. It would be nicer however. Illumise and Volbeat did exist in Sinnoh, though. May thought it was a nice atmosphere though, in her ever so May-like way. She was optimistic about those things and was always confident, unlike Dawn who got stressed about her hair all the time.

They got down to Pastoria Beach in the afternoon, when the sun was at its peak, surveying the cooling body of water. After they checked in and obtained a room in the hotel at Valor Lakefront, they changed quickly into their bathers to enjoy the water while the sun warmed it at a pleasant temperature. They sent out their Pokemon, and tossed around a Beach Ball from one to another in an orderly manner. Some of the Pokemon joined in with their human fun, though May's Prinplup dived under the water while maintaining a Drill Peck. Clearly to the prideful Penguin Pokemon, it had learned it but had not mastered it. Brendan's Swampert was lazing around, occasionally attacking the local fauna, that is, Wild Pokemon. Wingull flew overhead. Magikarp swam the sea, hoping to evolve. Everyone got wet, even when their upper halves were not fully soaked in the salty ocean.

May dived under the water for a second; Drew who she was with at the current moment, glanced around him, to be rewarded with water being dumped into his precious well crafted chartreuse hair. Her melancholy voice rang through the beach like a Chimecho or a Chingling. Her voice rung in the air like crystal drops of water, which soothed the nearby green haired coordinator. Drew blushed slightly though May easily overtook it for the mounting heat. She dipped her right arm into the calm waves, before she whipped it round to fling a quantity of water onto Drew again, raining down on him. In retaliation, Drew's fingers dived into the water, searching for the air filled orb that he swore was playing hide and seek with him under the waves. It took longer than he had anticipated, but none the less, he found it when the ball bobbed up again, though Drew's hair was greeted with another spray of briny water. This time he spun and hit her head in a friendly manner in return. She smiled with another wave of laughter, which Drew decided, was better than any of the other waves on the beach, or the ones she had dumped on him playfully.

Wally was watching their exchanges. He, as we discussed earlier was not simply a green obsessed trainer. He was not a simple two dimensional figure. He got angry, even if it was not over a green object or Pokemon. He was sad sometimes; though it was the kind of sad others might see as cute. He had feelings. He may have had a serious case of asthma when he was smaller, but he was human.

He relaxed in his chair as he fanned himself with his hand. Nearby Brendan had decided to have fun with his Swampert instead. All four of them had been doing what Drew and May were doing before; before Wally had decided he wanted to dry up and relax under the shade. Brendan decided to sneak in some training, though he made no effort to disguise it. At least however, he had unconsciously allowed Drew to be with May alone. All the other people along the beach took no notice of them either.

Brendan was currently on one of the larger and less slippery rocks in the water with his Swampert. The surface had been eroded by years of being worn away by the sea and the wind that rippled across the surface of the water occasionally. It was not perfect however, as the occasional SonicBoom from a nearby Buizel might hit the smooth stone in a battle against a Sharpedo. Wally noted that the beach was once out to where Brendan was situated. He actually looked decent, with his white hat off. He must have looked something like Ash, without the extra flamboyant hair though of course. And Brendan had nice ruby eyes, full of determination and bravery, piercing through the reflected blue of the sea, and the naturally blue Swampert beside him.

As he turned his head back to Drew again, he had to admit. He had never seen Drew so vaguely happy. Though the keyword there was vaguely.

He watched as they walked back onto the sand. May had the beach ball tucked and wrapped under her arm. Drew's hair was wet and scruffy, something that was not typical of him. His hair was usually smooth and well kept. Because Drew had had a separate room until now, Wally realized there maybe a problem that Brendan had overlooked.

Drew might take hours in the shower.

Wally groaned.


	35. Down in the Dirt

**A/N: So here is a new chapter. They finally get to Pastoria! I mean, it is chapter 35, many fanfics don't get up to 35. I estimated 50 chapters before I started this though. Looks like there will be much more, especially if I am planning to do around three to five chapters of Grand Festival (Spoilers!)**

**Also, the Sinnoh League, but with only Wally and Brendan, I can't do much. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, Iris (Pokemon: Best Wishes/Black and White Female Lead) would be the actual female character for Pokemon BW. I mentioned this before, but with Misty coming back.**

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Chapter 35: Down in the dirt

Wally ate a spoonful of plain ice cream, admiring the added and blended flavor of the sweet Watmel Berry Syrup that had been drizzled over his sundae. It was one of the more expensive ice creams in the restaurant, seeing as segments of exotic Sharf Berry, in the order of red, blue, pink, green and yellow, were arranged around the glass cup, but on the dish under it, like a flower.

The expensive restaurant in question was the place to eat in all of Sinnoh: The Seven Stars Restaurant.

Usually one would have a tag battle to enter, though because May had helped save their food when it had been stolen, this was not needed for the owners had remembered her perfectly.

They had already spent their seven course meal the previous night however.

Now it seemed that Drew and Brendan were engaged in a battle to see who could spend the most money, even before the bill had arrived.

Licking his spoon delicately, Wally frowned as more money had been poured out. They had only started on their ice creams. Wally had his eyes on his selection after a few minutes, though Brendan was quite eagerly helping May choose. She could be such the loveable glutton at times. He was sure that Brendan had no idea of Drew's feelings for their female companion though.

While Drew eyed Brendan with malicious emerald eyes, he was crunching on a chunk of Chesto Berry, distracting his teeth from baring them angrily in jealousy. He had decided on a Nanab Split. There was also a rather pleasant chocolate sauce dripping down it in a tantalizing way, joining with the slightly melted ice cream that had been collected in the bottom of the dish. It was simple and yet it was an ice cream someone would rarely decide to pick, especially at the Seven Star Restaurant, though everything was fresh and had a burst of flavor.

Brendan had decided on a simple yet exotic Durin Berry Ice Cream, notorious for its bad smell but its heavenly taste. Luckily the ice cream itself carried no tainted scent. Drew averted his eyes as Brendan finally finished helping May decide and promptly ignored Brendan greedily licking up every single last drop of frozen MooMoo Milk. He was temporarily reminded of Ash, though Drew could not blame people for adoring the food supplied at the place.

May's final decision was only typical. Even after enduring six other courses for their lunch. It was a Pecha and Razz Berry Sundae surrounded by Magost Berries that slightly mirrored the Pecha Berries. There were even cubes of Watmel, Hondew and Pinap around it with dollops of the cream found in Durin Berries. Very expensive, though Drew easily fished out the right amount. Not that Brendan allowed him to.

Wally sighed and apologized to the waiter.

Afterwards, the waiter came to them with the bill. Brendan and Drew both insisted to pay. In the end May had simply said that they should both pay for half. It was the easiest solution, but the two boys could not see it in their state.

Wally was still surprised that Brendan was so clueless in the fact he did not realize that Drew had feelings for May.

They rose from the table and went over to the large doors, where a butler and a maid bowed to them as they left. They were going to walk over to Pastoria City, which was not exactly the hardest thing to do. Pastoria City was quite cool in temperature because of the Marsh overlooking it. With five or four days till Solidad and Harley competed in the Pastoria Contest, they had agreed to do some sightseeing, even if it mainly meant the Great Marsh.

First however they had agreed to change from their formal outfits they wore to the Restaurant, and into ones that did not really care if they were splattered with bog. Brendan had decided to remove his hat. May was not wearing her green bandana. They also packed their bags, checking out of their hotel rooms.

* * *

Afterwards they walked along the beach as they approached their desired destination. Of course the beach was not a puny little beach. It reached for at least a mile and took them sometime. They did not walk in the sand of course, of fear of being splashed. They had already had a through shower each the night before thank you very much. A cool rush of air swept over them as they entered the city.

May glanced around in awe. However, when she peered up a large statue she had been admiring, she let out a small noise and it was easy to tell from her expression that the large stone Croagunk was not exactly something she was fond of.

The Croagunk was the official mascot of the city. It was quite a rare Pokemon in the rest of Sinnoh, though it was found in their Great Marsh along with other rarities like Carnavine. However, it was rather intimidating, seeing the stone Croagunk looming over them. At least they did not jump out randomly and attack. Now _that_ would be scary. Especially if that is the statues we are talking about. However, the city was rather spacious with many trees outnumbering the statues, and green fields laid everywhere.

"Maybe we should go over to the Pokemon Center." Brendan suggested at the brunette. She turned around to him with a smile. Together they walked over to the Center. While Drew arranged for a room, May noticed that the Nurse Joy also had a Croagunk; a female one too. It had bows on its head, as well as a shining crown. May decided it was cute, by Croagunk standards though.

They obtained a room, and with Drew with them they debated about bunks heavily, though Drew was actually just leaning against the wall, inhaling the scent of a rose that mysteriously appeared out of his Rose-Space.

In the end Brendan obtained the bunk above May's, and Drew and Wally shared a bunk, with Drew at the top and Wally at the bottom. To be truthful Drew did not care much. All he cared was for a bed to sleep on at night, or if one was unreachable, a tent would do anyway as long as it had no holes or anything like that. Being the son of a rich person made him a tad bit spoilt. That could also explain the slight cockiness of both Gary and Brendan, though Brendan was not as narcissistic as the other two.

After they arranged their possessions in an easy to pack up way, they went outside the Pokemon Center again, and they glanced around at the city again. May noticed the train station at the edge of the city. It would take people further into the large Marsh because it was the size of a large city.

"C'mon guys, I thought you wanted to see the Great Marsh!" May cried out with a hint of impatience. She had stridden ahead. Brendan went over to her eagerly and he looked back at the others.

"Well it seems that you have tough competition." Wally stated to Drew simply before he ventured over to the station. Drew had a feeling that Wally knew, but he did not think that Wally would actually talk to him about his infatuation with the brunette. He strolled over to the others as he watched the train roll into the station. Why the rush? He knew that the train would be there for another ten minutes before going into the swamp. None the less he followed them. The front of the train was orange, though the two carriages were painted green on the outside. They decided to go into the back carriage and found seats that faced each other. May and Brendan sat down on one side, though before Drew and Wally properly sat down, Drew whispered to his fellow green head.

"Nah, I would hardly call it tough." He said softly with a bit of a sneer. Wally chuckled.

"Too true." Wally replied out loud. Brendan looked at him.

"We were just saying how the chance of you defeating Crasher Wake is much slimmer than Wally's." Drew drawled as he flicked his hair. Wally successfully concealed his surprise at their identical thoughts, except, replacing 'Wally' with 'me' of course. Brendan had started getting a bit pissed off, but really, he was not that mad. For the rest of the short trip Brendan went on about his strategies as they passed fields of grass dotted with pools of shallow water and muddy pits lurking underneath certain patches of grass. It was rather impressive.

* * *

After they exited the station on the other side, they found themselves on a wooded boardwalk. It was already the afternoon, and this boardwalk seemed to stretch until the other side of Lake Valor. There were more trees and bushes and the ground seemed to be marshier though the grass became taller, shielding away the dark mud from cautious eyes.

Brendan had brought a camera. He had one in his larger bag, as his father had insisted he bring it. He stepped off the boardwalk stealthily. May and Wally looked at each other with looks that said 'gee, Brendan is so stupid'. Drew just observed as Brendan trudged through the thinner parts of mud.

Then he stepped into some deep marsh mud, hidden by the tall grass. He attempted to get out by all attempts were unsuccessful.

The Croagunk he had been trying to sneak up on and take a close picture turned around to look at him with what seemed to be a sneer. Its fingertips were glowing too. Brendan gulped as it came towards him and twisted and turned more. At the same time that the fingers touched him, he was freed from the mud, and the pain sent him skidding across the muddy and grassy area. There was a flash of light too and Brendan realized that he had accidently pressed the button on his camera. He examined the photo and decided it was not too bad. It was of Croagunk with its fingers towards the direction of the camera and with grass rustling around it. The Croagunk was fine but the area around was blurry, for obvious reasons. As he scowled at the picture, he did not notice the Croagunk trudging towards him again.

"Brendan!" May cried in a worried tone. Brendan's eyes shot up and met the Poison Mouth Pokemon.

He bolted back to the boardwalk, noticing a faint smarting pain on the back of his legs. He wiped away some of the mud. Skidding across ground would never do anyone good. He touched the skin and winched slightly. There were no bruises or anything, luckily.

The Croagunk had decided to trudge back into the Marsh. Brendan had decided to go on the boardwalk for safety and to avoid further accidents.

That is, until he spotted a Carnivine. Wally's eyes lit up at the sight of the green hovering Pokemon automatically.

Without another word, Brendan left the slightly damp planks of wood, leaving only a muddy footprint behind him, complete with jagged shards of grass stuck in the brown marshy mess. In synch, both May and Drew's hands leapt to their belts in case they needed to send out a Pokemon. Even if May was rather dense and naïve at times, she was still loyal though Wally did see their united movement. As they watched the raven haired Birch interact with the Bug Catcher Pokemon, they saw that no harm came to Brendan this time however and the Carnivine seemed to enjoy the attention. The tense frames of May and Drew relaxed together with a sigh, even if they were not aware of it.

By now, Wally bore a large smile on his face, identical to Brendan's, who had successfully taken a few photos without being mauled. However, his Running Shoes landed in thick puddle of marsh mud and attempted to get out. He sighed. May decided to risk her mobility and help him up. She tested the mud next to the boardwalk hesitantly. When she was satisfied with the state of the terrain, she strode over to the trapped trainer with a warm hand outstretched. Brendan took the hand in his gratefully for more than one reason. With a sharp yank, Brendan was successfully removed from the soggy ground. To Drew's delight, Brendan did not land on top of May, but on to the ground once more. Face front. Brendan leapt up as soon as the movement in his limbs returned; that is to say, he jumped up quickly. He inspected his camera quickly, wiping away the mud before he started on his own face. An expression of disgust was painted on his face in a literal way. May looked worried and Drew looked annoyed. He knew that May was caring for Brendan in a friendly way, but he wondered if he had tougher competition than he first thought. There was one thing for sure though.

No more Mister Nice Drew.


	36. The Beauty of Water

**A/N: Sorry for the very late upload! I could not access the internet for a week because I had camp**

**Disclaimer: No interesting disclaimer this time. I just don't own Pokemon.**

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Chapter 36: The Beauty of Water**

The days seemed to pass easily; as quickly as the tide rolled in, the contest rolled in too. Brendan had been working himself to the bone, trying to work out a strategy. He could use Swampert for his Ice Beam, Shiftry because it was a grass type and Aggron for its electrical attacks. But only Shiftry was really safe choice in Brendan's books and even Shiftry had faults.

They had gone back to the marsh a few days later because Drew had decided on a relaxing marsh mud treatment. He cared for his looks obviously. May had liked it. She was neither a true girly girl nor tomboy, but she still enjoyed those kinds of treatments. It was nice, though Brendan had decided not to go near the marsh mud again.

Soon the gang was outside the Contest Hall, waiting to get in. However, it was not time yet.

"Hey!" a familiar voice cried out. May turned. A tall older coordinator with what seemed to be a plate was walking towards them down a hill.

"Solidad, long time no see!' she exclaimed happily. Drew simply nodded in respect.

"Where is Harley?" he questioned casually. Solidad grinned and gestured with her thumb over her shoulder towards the path. Indeed, the Cacturne costumed coordinator had just appeared over the hill.

"May! Drew!" he cooed and ran down the hill to pull the two younger coordinators into an embrace. He removed them after a while, just when they swore they would suffocate in his arms.

"Eh, Harley, how are you?" May asked with a slight sweatdrop as she returned the stray hairs created by the hug back to their rightful places. Drew was slightly dusting off too.  
Harley smiled widely.

"I am doing so well hun!" Harley gushed out happily, squashing the brunette with another hug but this one was a lot shorter. Drew really did sweatdrop this time.

"Cookie?" Harley offered suddenly, thrusting out a cookie to May who was rather forced to accept the cookie. The plate that Solidad was carrying had turned out to be a batch of cookies he had made that morning. Now he was handing a cookie to everyone else. Wally accepted it politely while Brendan merely looked confused at the snack in his hands. Drew took it in a bored fashion and Solidad nibbled at hers with amusement at everyone else's expressions.

"So, are you two in this one?" Harley questioned.

"No." Drew replied. May shook her head.

"We decided that you two need more of a chance." Drew drawled as he continued.

"IS THAT AN INSULT?" Harley raged on madly while everyone else sweatdropped.

"Well it is certainly kind. I do need one more ribbon until I am eligible." Solidad commented. Harley managed to stop, though he could not agree. He had the opposite. He had one, and needed four after all.

* * *

"Welcome to the Annual Pastoria City Pokemon Contest!" Marian called out to the audience who cheered like the crashing sea. The hall was painted accordingly with varying hues of blue, edging on some teal. The stage was still yellow though, to represent the sandy shores that neared Pastoria City. It was truly a beautiful place, though May thought that Lake Valor was more splendid.

The first coordinator was a guy with brown hair that was smooth except for the front where it stuck up a bit into the air. The coordinator's name was Kyle, and May remembered him from the Wallace Cup. Clearly he did not obtain enough ribbons for the Grand Festival the previous year. He was using his Lantern. May remembered it from Ash and Kyle's match. It certainly sent ripples and shocks of water through the water field the Pastoria City stage had. He had fittingly used Shockwave, as it was blue in nature, along with a Water Pulse. Shockwave and Water Pulse had the same amount of power, which was quite impressive.

It seemed that indeed every coordinator was using a water-type for the first round. Harley followed suit with his orange Octillery. Drew was really curious of the performance. Octillery had been sent out into the middle of the pool and had hit the pokeball back to Harley. Octillery was bobbing in the water.

"Octillery, skip Bullet Seeds across the water!" Harley cried out. Octillery fired golden bullets across the surface of the water like when people skip pebbles. The seed created interesting ripples and occasional chips of gold were scattered about too. As Octillery was bobbing in the water it easily spun around to fire the bullets all over the watery field.

"Psybeam!" Harley exclaimed accompanied with a large point with his right hand towards the water. Octillery did as told and got ready to fire the stored up energy while still spinning.

"Go!" Harley commanded. He send back his right hand before it went out again a gesture, this time closed in a punch. Octillery fired the pink and purple beam right out while of course, still spinning. It covered the surface of the body of water beautifully like an electric type move. When they hit the seeds, where ever they may be, they exploded. The underwater seeds sprung out of the water too, along with some of the colored water, sending ripples straight across the pool. It was strong enough to blow their hair back, as if a gush of wind had blown onto them. The gang was in the front row, so naturally they were sprayed on by the rainbow rain. In fact, because of the shower of water, rainbows did appear around the stage.

It seemed that Harley had taken advantage of the water. He had only used two attacks after all. Yet the effect was bound to send him into the second round. The technicians behind the technology of the place removed the water of the stage and refilled it with clean water with the press of a button behind stage as the next person came on; a determined Hayley. A bold smile was upon her face and her hair was tied back in a pony tail, though her crown, which if you remember, looks like the flower of a Cacnea's head, was still perched on smoothly. She clutched a pokeball in her hand, which clearly had a Foamy Seal on it.

"Buizel, I choose you!" she called, throwing the pokeball elegantly. Bubbles bubbled from around her and a glowing Buizel appeared in the bubbles too. The Buizel punched away the bubbles and landed smoothly on the water's edge as Hayley caught the pokeball in her hand.

"Razor Wind!" she cried out. Her Buizel jumped into the air above the water and sent a white blade of wind down into the depths with his tails together. The attack split the water in half, sending it up towards Buizel and covering him.

"Now, gather the water for an Aqua Jet!" Hayley continued. Buizel was then enclosed in the water.

"Now, Swift!" Hayley commanded as Buizel sped through the air, tails spinning. The tails glowed more, and stars flew out of them, hitting the watery film, and creating their own Aqua Jets.

"Finish this off with Razor Wind again!" Hayley finished. Buizel's tails glowed again, and hit the stars with two pure white crescents that turned into a circle of white and indeed, gold, sending gold and white sparkles off through the air around Buizel who then landed on the water's edge once more with the spurt of speed the explosion caused.

"Hayley did well." May commented as the judges said their words. Drew nodded. The Harley look alike was even better than Harley himself. Actually, it was not hard to be so anyway. It also seemed that Hayley had recently gotten the Buizel too.

A little while later, Solidad came out to perform. She had a knowing smile on her face.

"Lapras, come out." She called, throwing the pokeball into the air. Stars circled Lapras as it descended to the water's edge. The pokeball landed in her palm again.

"Let us begin. Sheer Cold like we practiced!" Solidad cried in a familiar way. Drew frowned; was this going to be similar to the appeal that got Solidad through the Kanto Grand Festival? Lapras jumped into the water, causing the waves to grow jagged with the sheer cold of the aura Lapras was giving out. However, it was clear that Solidad had not finished yet.

"Water Pulse." She continued. Drew realized that Lapras had only froze the top of the water, leaving Lapras able to send the icicles into the air by pushing up the liquid water from below with a Water Pulse. The icicles seemed to hover in the air as they glittered for all to see.

"Now, Thunderbolt!" Solidad finished. Lapras sent out bolts of energy through the water and underneath the icicles in the air, shattering them to pieces while the glowing yellow shone through like stars of their own. Drew was impressed indeed. May was gasping with a happy look on her face.

* * *

Then there was the intermission while the judges discussed on the coordinators. The majority had done surprisingly good. After a bit of a break, Marian returned to the stage. Gradually eight pictures flashed on the large screen over head. Surprisingly, this time Harley was first, and Solidad was second. Hayley was third and Kyle was sixth. Then the pictures were shuffled. Harley was against a coordinator they had never seen before, Solidad was against a coordinator they swore they had seen in a contest or too, and Hayley was against Kyle. Hayley's battle was up first too. It was her Staravia against Kyle's Crawdaunt. Kyle's Crawdaunt was much more powerful, but contests were about beauty and grace; the very ideals of Wallace indeed. Besides, the Staravia could dodge into the skies, and knew Double Team. Before they knew it, Kyle was defeated by the time.

Then Harley fought Hayley with his Ariados, aiming to anchor the Staravia down with a Spider Web or too. The webs hanged beautifully beneath the ceiling of the hall though, allowing him to cut down on Hayley's points. Shadow Sneak worked very well too but Staravia was too quick and too nimble.

He had prided on the fact that he used Scary Face when Staravia came down to use Brave Bird, a move that had clearly been recently taught. It was still a remarkable move though with the flames and the blue glow encasing the Pokemon. At the end however, Hayley had won by so little.

He hoped that Solidad would win.

"Slowbro, let's go!" Solidad cried out calmly as she tossed the ball into the air.

"Staravia, c'mon!" Hayley replied as she hurled her pokeball into the air. They opened at the same time, revealing bubbles. They had both used Foamy Seals. It was such a coincidence. Hayley looked surprised. Solidad looked amused. Her Slowbro spun down to the ground, drilling away at the bubbles to create rainbow sparkles that already nicked away at Hayley's points.

"Brave Bird!" Hayley exclaimed. It was such a risky move. Solidad knew what to do.

"Psychic." Solidad ordered in a slight bored tone. Slowbro's eyes glowed blue, and Staravia was encased with the same blue, which was the same color as the glow that that coated Staravia anyway. However, Slowbro gestured, hurling Staravia backwards. Hayley clenched her teeth together.

"Aerial Ace!" She suggested in a voice quicker than she had wanted. Her Staravia attempted to regain momentum as the psychic energy loosened on it, and climbed into the air, white light surrounded in streaks around the Starling Pokemon before it dived down towards Slowbro.

"Use Water Gun." Solidad continued. Slowbro fired out a beam of water towards the Staravia. Hayley's mouth twitched upwards however, at the sight of the attack, even if it halted progress with the Aerial Ace she had been planning.

"Double Team!" Hayley cried out in triumph. The Staravias multiplied. Only a clone was hit by the rushing torrent of water. However, to her shock, Solidad was smiling at her.

"Sense where the real one is with your psychic power." Solidad ordered. Her Slowbro obeyed and glowed faint blue. For some reason, Hayley did not interrupt her and her Pokemon. I mean if Team Rocket can do their motto mainly without interruption, then she could do this without interruption. Slowbro looked towards a particular Staravia. Solidad smiled.

"Use Yawn." She ordered simply. Slowbro let out a large yawn, sending a large bubble towards the Staravia. Hayley knew though, that if the bubble hit Staravia, her Staravia would be plunged into sleep.

"Dodge!" Hayley cried out quickly. Staravia did as told and glided away from the bubble.

Solidad was smiling still. It kind of got onto Hayley's nerves.

"Water Gun." She commanded calmly once more. Slowbro fired a beam of water at the bubble produced by Yawn, en route to Staravia. The bubble was filled with water and was launched at Staravia again upon the ray of water, slicing down Hayley's points more. Solidad was easily seen as the winner by this stage. The combo was very impressive after all.

This time the bubble hit, and Staravia plunged down to the ground like a fallen angel as the bubble burst like a water balloon. Everyone looked towards the Starling Pokemon. Hayley looked determined though she knew the battle was a lost cause. Her mouth was twitching in annoyance.

"C'mon, wake up!" Hayley encouraged at the sleeping Pokemon.

"Thirty Seconds to go!" Marian cut in through the purple haired coordinator's stress.

Hayley frowned. That mark had to come at such an important time. However, she knew that every few seconds with her Staravia asleep would cut her points down. Some people had their eyes fixed upon the clock, and others upon Hayley.

"Time is up! It seems that Solidad has won the Pastoria City Contest!" Marian called. Hayley sadly returned her Staravia, but gave the pokeball an encouraging smile. She left as the judges approached Solidad with the ribbon.

"This is your fifth ribbon correct?" Mr. Contesta asked. Solidad nodded.

"This means you are eligible to participate in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. We do remember you won the Kanto Grand Festival too, so give us a good battle!"

Solidad smiled as she received it and thanked them graciously. She took out her ribbon case and placed her fifth ribbon into it and showed the crowd who cheered in support. She smiled towards the front row where May and Drew were.

Quickly, the crowd which clapped like a rushing wave did so and poured out of the building soon after Solidad left the stage for the changing room. She changed quickly before slinging her small backpack over her shoulders to exit the building. She strolled down the hallway exiting from the changing room in bliss. She was allowed to participate in the Grand Festival. There, her friends would become her rivals, and the ultimate battle for the cup would be undertaken. That is, if they won their five ribbons. An array of bright shades of heat was projected onto the clouds and reflected upon Solidad's face, bathing her in the mild rays of the evening. She glanced around and spotted her friends, outside the Pokemon Center which was close by, so that the Nurse Joy could easily return to her position.

"So you are going back to Pewter City soon?" May asked with a hint of sadness as Solidad approached them. Harley squealed with happiness at Solidad's win, with words along the lines of 'I knew you coul defeat that Hayley girl.' He sounded like a fan girl. The gang slowly strolled into the center as they engaged in their separate conversations.

"I will, when we get back to Canalave City so I can catch a boat back to Kanto. So we still have some weeks to go as I will be with you guys." Solidad said encouragingly. May looked relieved, and Solidad knew that Drew was relieved too. Solidad was like his mother more than she was for May because they knew each other more. She knew his façade well. He was certainly not nervous or shy, but he hid his feelings.

"So, what are our plans? Simply challenging the Gym?" Solidad asked, though she primarily directed it to the two trainers that were sitting in the cushioned couches with them.

"Yup." Brendan replied happily. "Then we will return to Hearthome City to battle against Fantina again before heading on the blimp to Canalave." Wally nodded along with his comments. Solidad tapped her chin in both an absentminded, and yet a thoughtful way at the same time.

"Sounds like a good plan to me." She replied after the plan was examined in her head. Harley looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Am I coming with you Solidad?" he whined. Solidad grinned and nodded. Harley let off an extra large squeal which caused the nearby Nurse Joy to glare at him. Solidad chuckled a bit before Harley pouted at her. Inside Solidad was blushing like a mad little girl, but outside she managed to keep the blood circulating around normally. She had to admit that Harley looked cute when he pouted. Then, suddenly Harley lunged over to Drew and May and pulled them into a forceful hug. Drew was blushing slightly at the close and squished proximity he had with the brunette coordinator.

"Looks like the family are back together!" Harley exclaimed after he released them from his grasp.


End file.
